The Fox and the Hound
by kakenshin-sensei
Summary: Hinata Hyuuga has always admired Naruto Uzumaki, Kiba Inuzuka has always adored Hinata, and Naruto's always been oblivious. What happens when these three finally reveal their harbored feelings for one another? AU high school NaruxHinaxKiba
1. Prologue

Alright, so, here's a look at my first fanfiction ever. Yeah, it's a high school AU romance fic, but I'll try to add at least some originality to it. This is just the prologue, so stay tuned for more. On with the fic!

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The Fox and the Hound

Prologue

The city of Konoha: population 25,000. It's not exactly what one would call a metropolis, but it is just large enough for one to take a walk down the street and meet just about every type of person there is in the world. The moral philosopher, the drug addict, the aspiring actor, the struggling comedian and, of course, the shy, love-struck schoolgirl. Yes, all were present, and Hinata Hyuuga was situated squarely in the middle of this last category.

Indeed, for many years she had been eyeing a certain someone at Konoha High, but could never manage to make her feelings known. It was hard enough just to be around the boy, let alone talk to him. If she so much as felt his eyes upon her, even if it was just her imagination, Hinata would feel her face start to burn up, a fact that she tried so desperately to hide. Now she was sixteen, though, just starting her sophomore year at Konoha High, and the young Hyuuga could feel her one chance at true love slipping through her fingers. Surely he would be searching for a love of his own, and what would possibly draw him to such a plain girl as herself? No, he probably had his sights set on Sakura or Ino, not the shy, pale-eyed girl sitting nervously in the corner…

As hopeless as her situation seemed, though, Hinata could not help but feel some slight happiness as she sat on her bed, gazing at her freshmen yearbook with the painful longing that had haunted her since the sixth grade.

"Naruto Uzumaki," she said with a sigh as she gently brushed her fingers across said blonde's picture. "Why can't you just see me like I see you?"

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Like I said, short intro chapter. Feel free to give me any comments or suggestions!


	2. Chapter 1

Alright, I know that the prologue wasn't really all that satisfying, so I tried to churn out an actualy chapter as fast as I could. Enjoy, and we'll see if I can get the next chapter out sometime this week.

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Chapter 1

A young, blonde child stood in the middle of a messy, rundown apartment, his clothes in tatters and his hands covered in blood. In front of him a tall, intimidating man loomed over the limp form of a woman, a dripping knife clenched firmly in his hand. The boy looked up at the fearsome figure, tears clouding his vision as he backed away into the corner, his lip quivering with fear. The man turned towards him, his eyes brimming with bloodlust as he paced slowly across the crimson-stained floor. The boy closed his eyes, anticipating the worst as the horrific form drew closer, the terror practically choking him. When the inevitable did not come, however, the blonde slowly looked up to see the man bent over him, a sinister smirk on his face.

"Come, Naruto."

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With a panicked scream Naruto Uzumaki sat up in his bed, cold sweat running down his face and his hands trembling with fear. Outside the sun was just rising, and he could hear the honking of horns as people started their daily commute.

"Naruto!" someone shouted from just outside the blonde's room, accompanied by a rhythmic pounding on the door. "Naruto! Wake up! We're gonna be late!"

"Alright already, Kiba! I'm up!" Naruto called back as he threw off his covers and stumbled to his feet.

As he made his way across the hall to the bathroom, Naruto tried to steady his trembling limbs and calm himself down. Once he had started the shower, the blonde stripped off his boxers and let the hot water run over his body, taking deep breaths as he thought things over.

_It was just a dream. Nothing to worry about. He's gone, he can't hurt you._

After repeating this to himself several times, Naruto was finally able to control his breathing and proceed with his shower. Before long, he heard Kiba's familiar pounding on the door and instantly shut off the water, lest he incur his housemate's wrath.

Once he had dried off and gotten dressed in his usual ensemble of a black shirt and orange pants, Naruto quickly made his way into the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. Seeing Kiba tapping his foot impatiently by the door, however, the blonde decided to toss some instant ramen into the microwave and eat on the go. One minute and a light 'ding' later, he was out the door with an irritated Kiba following in his wake.

"What the hell took you so long this morning?" Kiba asked as they struggled to make up for lost time. "I thought I was waiting for my sister or something…"

"Give me a break, I'm still in summer mode, okay?" Naruto explained before flashing his trademark grin.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Kiba panted as he ran along, "Making us wake up at seven every day, it's criminal!"

Naruto was glad to see his friend drop the grouchy attitude. It was something they both had in common, that inability to stay angry for any great period of time. If ever they fought, like the time when Kiba's dog, Akamaru, had gotten into Naruto's ramen, they would usually patch things up after a few hours of sulking.

It was truly destiny that they were both sent away to Konoha High last year, because Naruto really could not see himself living with anyone else. Not the he was lacking friends or anything; he had made several over the past year. He and Kiba understood one another, though; they each knew how the other worked. Even if he felt as terrible as he did that morning, Naruto knew he could count on his friend to cheer him up, and he was glad to have that support.

Thus, it was with surprisingly high spirits that Naruto burst through the front doors of Konoha High that morning, a winded Kiba trudging in shortly after. Seeing that many students were still searching for their classes, the blonde took the time to rub his victory into the Inuzuka's face.

"Ha! Beat you again, dog-boy!" Naruto taunted as he pumped his fist in victory.

"How the hell do you do that?" Kiba asked incredulously, struggling to catch his breath. "You just sprinted for two miles, and you're not even sweating!"

"I've told you before, I have great stamina," Naruto replied with a sheepish grin.

"And I've told you before you're too loud," a distinctly bored voice said from behind, "I swear, sometimes you're so troublesome…"

The vulpine boy felt himself jump slightly as he spun around to find a boy with a pineapple-shaped hairdo leaning against the wall. "Don't scare me like that, Shikamaru!"

"So loud," the lazy boy replied with a sigh. "It's far too early for you to have this much energy."

"Hey, Shikamaru," Kiba piped in, his breath still heavy from the run. "Who do you have for first hour?"

"I've got Kakashi," Shikamaru responded with a smirk, "guess I won't have to wake up so early after all."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"Haven't you heard? Kakashi is _never_ on time. Sometimes he doesn't show up until half-way through the day," Shikamaru explained in a casual manner.

"Don't you remember, Naruto? I told you about him last night," Kiba continued, clearly frustrated with his housemate's poor memory.

"Oh yeah! We have him first hour too, right?" the blonde responded, his overexcited tone causing Shikamaru to twitch once again.

"Right, so we'd better get going," Kiba said with a wave of his hand. "You never know, he might show up on time for our first day."

Shikamaru and Naruto agreed with this logic, and together the three made their way through Konoha High's labyrinthine hallways. After weaving through the crowd and sliding past several clumps of gossiping girls, they finally arrived at room 1457, marked clearly "Kakashi Hatake."

"Of course he isn't here, troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed as the trio entered the noisy classroom.

Looking around, Naruto found that, indeed, there was not a single person resembling a teacher in sight. There was the usual gaggle of fangirls surrounding local heartthrob Sasuke Uchiha, as well several other students chatting about their summer vacation, but no one that the vulpine boy could identify as an authority figure.

"Where should we sit, guys?" Kiba asked as he quickly surveyed the room.

Naruto took a minute to find the ideal location, analyzing the pros and cons of every spot. It was not exactly a taxing procedure, since many areas were easy to cross of the list.

_Not by that bastard Sasuke, thinks he so cool… Not by Shino, that guy's just creepy. Gaara… no, I kinda want to live through the year…_

After a few quick scans, Naruto finally noticed the pale figure sitting in the corner, nervously touching the tips of her fingers together as she glanced over towards the entrance. Seeing this, the blonde knew instantly that he had found the winning position.

"Hey, Kiba, what do you say we go sit over by _Hinata_?" Naruto whispered tauntingly into the dog-boy's ear.

"W-w-why are you asking me? W-what would I c-care?" Kiba said defensively, his cheeks turning a light shade of red as he looked over towards the Hyuuga.

"Come on, Kiba, don't try to hide it from us," Naruto continued, his voice filled with glee at watching his friend squirm. "You _like_ her, don't you?"

"Shut up! I do not," the Inuzuka responded as he stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest.

"You must not think very much of us," Shikamaru intervened, having grown tired of listening to Naruto's teasing. "Do you honestly believe that you could hide something like that for long?"

"Yeah, we're your friends, Kiba," Naruto said, nodding his head in agreement. "You shouldn't have to keep things like that from us."

After a few moments filled with stutters and looks of frustration, Kiba finally slumped his shoulders and sighed in defeat. "Is it really that obvious?"

"It is to us," Naruto replied as he threw his arm over his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry though, I think everyone else is too busy ogling Sasuke to notice."

This last comment was enough to get Kiba to laugh off a bit of his apprehension as the trio made their way towards the back of the room. Conveniently enough, there was just enough room for the three of them to sit together, with Naruto forcing his housemate right next to the overly shy Hinata. Much to the blonde's delight, Kiba began to show those typical signs of nervousness, from profuse sweating to restless legs, as he struggled to come up with the right thing to say.

"Umm… uh, hey, Hinata! H-how was you summer?"

The pale-eyed Hyuuga looked to the side with a start before responding. "Oh, hi Kiba. My summer went pretty well, I guess. My father took us all to the tropics for a month, that was nice... How was y-"

Before Hinata could finish her question her face began to turn a deep shade of red, causing her to look away in embarrassment and abandon her conversation entirely. Naruto was quite puzzled by this sudden change in behavior, especially since Kiba had actually worked up the courage to speak to her. Unfortunately, the vulpine boy was forced to put his investigation on hold when the classroom door suddenly burst open, accompanied by an immediate silence.

"Sorry I'm late, class. I came across a poor damsel in distress on the way to school and I just could not bear to leave her. I'm sure you understand."

Naruto looked at the man who had just entered the room in bewilderment, unable to understand how he had been entrusted with thirty-plus students year after year. From the mask covering the bottom portion of his face to the hentai novel tucked away in his back pocket, the man seemed to be the type Naruto had been told time and time again to avoid. Before he could process this information any longer, however, Kakashi addressed the class once more, forcing the blonde to put his other thoughts aside for the moment.

"Alright class, since we're getting a bit of a late start, let's dive right in, shall we?" the masked instructor said as he began to scribble on the blackboard. "We're going to start off the year with some poetry, focusing mainly on the sonnet. Now…"

Naruto did not really care to listen to what Kakashi was saying, but instead rested his head on his desk as he stared out the window at the beautiful day outside. How could they possibly expect him to stay in all day learning about _poetry_ when the sun was out there waiting for him? Naruto honestly had no idea, but if his first day was any indication, he knew one thing was for certain: it was going to be a long year.

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There you go! First official chapter of The Fox and the Hound. Again, any and all comments are encouraged! 


	3. Chapter 2

Okay, for all you out there actually reading this, here's the second chapter. It's a bit longer than the last one, but you get to learn a bit more about Naruto. Not too much though, have to keep some secrets, right? Anyway, enjoy!

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Chapter 2

As Naruto had expected, his first day of school dragged on for what seemed like an eternity, the clock coming to an apparent standstill at various moments during the course of the afternoon. Poetry was not as bad as he had expected, since Kakashi had essentially asked them to write something while he sat back and read. Some of his other classes were not as easy, however, like PE with Maito Gai. The man was absolutely insane, urging everyone to give 110 since this was the "springtime of their youth." By the end of the period, even Naruto was exhausted, and he still had five hours to go.

After suffering through chemistry, math, philosophy and history, Naruto was practically aching from the sheer boredom that his education had to offer. Even lunch was but a brief reprieve, with most of it spent alongside Kiba and Shikamaru as they stared up at the clouds.

Thus, when the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, Naruto bolted for the door, kicking up a flurry of stray papers as he blew past. No one else had even exited the building when Naruto started on his way home, a big grin of relief dominating his features. Even though he had just spent seven hours in a personal hell, he could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy as he ran down the street towards his apartment. He was not exactly sure why, but for whatever reason Naruto never could stay depressed for long. Even though he knew that today was only the beginning of what was sure to be a tough school year, the blonde was able to put that fact aside and focus on the joy that was to come in what little free time he had.

It was in this optimistic state of mind that Naruto arrived at his third floor apartment, fumbling anxiously with his keys as he approached the door. After unlocking the door, the vulpine boy threw the door open, only to be knocked back to the floor as he was pounced upon by a small, white puppy.

"Hey, Akamaru!" Naruto said as he scratched the dog's head. "Good to see you, too."

Akamaru gave a small, cheerful yip before leaping off of the blonde and entering the apartment. Naruto followed shortly after and, after lying down lazily on the couch, switched on the television. Soon after he found a suitable program to watch, the vulpine boy was accompanied by the pint-sized Akamaru, who took a seat curled up on Naruto's stomach.

As he lay there, gently stroking the dog's fur, Naruto's mind began to stray from the television, until he no longer was aware that it was even on. He looked down at Akamaru with a gentle smile, reminiscing about a fight he and Kiba had the previous year about the puppy. It had all started about halfway through the year when Naruto found that Akamaru had gotten into his ramen. Kiba had defended his pet, saying that it was Naruto's fault for leaving the ramen out to begin with, but Naruto stubbornly refused to admit this. Instead, Naruto had thrown a fit and left, only to come back a few hours later, asking for forgiveness.

It was a normal little fight. People probably had similar arguments every day and never thought anything of it. To Naruto, though, it was special. Being normal, being accepted; it was all quite new to the blonde. Even though he was angry at the time, Naruto could now look back and smile, knowing that there were people he could have those stupid fights with.

How Naruto had ever survived without those kinds of bonds was beyond him. For half of his life he had been shunned completely by everyone he ever met. No one even gave him a chance, knowing who and what he was; to them, he would have been better off dead. Sometimes, to tell the truth, he wished that he was. Sitting in the orphanage, watching as the other kids played, always envious of their joy. What made them so special? Their parents were dead too, they did not have anyone who loved them, waiting for them to come home. Why was he so different? It was almost too much to bear, and it made him wonder if things would have been better off if he had been killed alongside his mother, if the world never even knew about a boy named Naruto Uzumaki.

Those times were behind him, though; he had people who mattered to him now, people that made life worth living. He had friends like Kiba and Shikamaru to keep him company, to confide in, people he could depend upon. More importantly, though, he had a family, even if it was a small one. Fortunately for him, he had Iruka.

Naruto could still remember that day quite vividly, as he lay there on the couch. He was five when it happened, three years after that fateful night when everything was taken away from him. He had just been rejected by the other kids once again and was sitting in the corner, trying to fight back tears as he cursed the others between sobs.

That's when he walked in, a tall, brown-haired man with a distinct scar going across his nose. Many of the other kids had run up to him, introducing themselves eagerly, hoping that this man might take them home. Naruto had stopped trying to win over the potential parents long ago; no matter how he tried, he could never make them forget just who he was. This man was just like all the others, too; so friendly it was disgusting, introducing himself to all the orphans, asking them all stupid questions about themselves. Naruto had gotten used to this sort of behavior and, as usual, proceeded to block it out as he became absorbed in his thoughts.

Why should he care what this stranger had to say? It was all phony banter anyway; he did not want to hear about them. All he wanted was to take someone home and show off to people like some sort of trophy. _Oh yes, this is my son; I adopted him last year. Aren't I such an admirable human being? _It made Naruto want to vomit.

Suddenly he saw a shadow cover the floor, though, followed by the man's face as he squatted down to look at the blonde. Naruto looked up in surprise, his cheeks stained with his tears, and found that the man actually seemed concerned.

_"Why are over here all by yourself," the man asked as he took a seat on the floor. "Don't you want to play with your friends?"_

Naruto wanted to laugh at that. Friends? He had no friends; that much was obvious. For whatever reason, though, he could not say this, not when he saw that gentleness and warmth in the man's eyes.

_"They hate me," the vulpine boy responded with a sob._

_"Hate you? I'm sure they don't hate you…"_

_"They do, they hate me! And you'll hate me too! Everyone always ends up hating me, no matter what I do! So just go away and leave me alone!" Naruto shouted before biting his lip in an attempt to stop a flood of tears._

The man had tried to put a hand on the blonde's shoulder, but Naruto slapped it away as he backed up further against the wall. _He's going to try and comfort me now. He's going to say one of those stupid things that they always say to orphans. "You're so brave," or something like that._

For whatever reason, though, the man said no such thing. He just sat there for a minute, watching Naruto in a sort of awed silence. Neither of them said a word, and for a moment their world seemed to stop. It was just the two of them, sitting in an orphanage while everything else continued to spin around them. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, and Naruto wanted nothing more than for the man to just speak and get it over with. _What's wrong with him? Can't he see I'm in pain? Doesn't he want to help somehow?_

_"I don't know what could have happened to make you feel that way, and I can't say that I can help," the man finally said with a sigh, "the truth is, I probably can't. I'll never be able to understand the kind of pain you must be going through, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to try. Will you let me?"_

Naruto had not known quite what to say. Was this man serious? _No, he can't be. He's just gonna abandon you like everyone else._

As he stared into the man's eyes again, though, he knew that it was not a lie. He _was_ willing to help, and Naruto felt that, somehow, he could trust him. Thus, the blonde gave a tentative nod in response as he inched towards the man once more.

_"Okay, let me introduce myself then," the man continued, a smile returning to his face. "My name's Iruka Umino. What yours?"_

_"Naruto," the blonde responded in a feeble voice, "Naruto Uzumaki."_

They had talked for hours after that, Iruka sharing things about his life, asking about Naruto's own interests, without ever prying too deep into the boy's problems. As they continued to meet over the next few weeks, Naruto grew increasingly fond of the man, until he actually felt disappointment when he had to leave. It was a strange feeling, but when Naruto finally went home with the man he felt, for the first time in a while, just what it was like to be loved.

Naruto still was waiting for the right time to tell the man about his past, about what had led to his parents' deaths. Iruka already knew, Naruto was sure of that; you had to be living under a rock not to know what happened to the blonde. But he still had his own personal story to tell, what he went through on that night. Iruka never once asked about it either; he knew that this was something that took time, and Naruto was grateful for that understanding. Someday he would be ready, and when he was he knew that Iruka would be there. It was just the kind of person he was; always willing to help, but wise enough to know when that help was needed.

_I probably should give him a call. He's gonna want to hear about school and everything…_

As this passed through his mind, Naruto turned his attention back to the television to find that the program was over. Had he really been daydreaming that long? He decided that he still had to give Iruka a call though. Even if the man never pried into Naruto's past, he was still a complete worrywart, and would no doubt call to scold him in the morning if he forgot to call. Thus, the blonde snatched the phone off a nearby desk, dialed the familiar number, and tapped his foot impatiently as waited for the man to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dad," Naruto said, a smile crossing over his face. "It's Naruto."

"Well it's about time you called!" Iruka exclaimed on the other end. "I told you to call me the_ minute _you got back from school! I was worried sick!"

"About what?" Naruto said with a laugh, "It's only been a half hour."

"I don't know, I thought maybe you were in trouble or something, you know how my mind works," the concerned man replied with an amused sigh. "Forget I ever mentioned it. How was your day, though?"

"Oh, it was okay, I guess," the vulpine boy replied as he reflected upon the past few hours. "I mean, it was boring and everything, but at least I don't have any homework."

"Well, that's good to hear," Iruka responded, "I just like to know how you're doing, you know? I know it's for the best that you get a good education, but, it's just…"

"It's okay, Dad," Naruto interrupted, "I miss you too."

"I'm glad to hear that," the man said sincerely, "Keep up the good work now, okay?"

"Alright, Dad," Naruto said as he rolled his eyes, "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, son."

No sooner had Naruto hung up the phone than the apartment door swung open and a panting Kiba entered the room. Akamaru was quick to pounce upon his master, who half-heartedly greeted the dog as he took a seat on the couch.

"How was track practice?" Naruto asked as he sat down beside his friend.

"Brutal," the dog-boy muttered, "I'm telling you, Gai is absolutely insane… 'springtime of youth' my ass. I still think you should try out, you'd be great."

"Nah, I may have stamina, but you've got speed," Naruto replied as he playfully punched his friend's shoulder. "I wouldn't stand a chance."

"Whatever you say," Kiba said in defeat as he slouched back in his seat.

Naruto watched the Inuzuka for a moment, an overwhelming feeling of concern consuming all other thoughts. Something was wrong, and he was going to find out what. "Okay, out with it, what's wrong, Kiba?"

"It's nothing, really," the dog-boy replied he as absentmindedly stroked Akamaru's fur.

"Remember that little talk we had earlier?" Naruto said as he sat up, his voice becoming a bit more forceful. "You can't keep things like this from me. We're supposed to share things if they're bothering us, so we can help each other out!"

"And what about you, huh? What about your secrets?" Kiba said defensively, "You think I like being kept in the dark about your parents?"

"That's different," Naruto responded flatly, his voice sounding slightly dangerous.

He knew that it was true; he _was_ being selfish, keeping those things to himself. Kiba and Iruka were so open with their own problems, but for whatever reason Naruto could not let that part of him go. He needed to keep that to himself, he needed to hold on to that last part of him that was his and his alone. Whether it was the fear that it would all be taken away from him again, he was not sure, but one thing was for certain: he could not talk about it. Not yet.

The two of them sat on the couch for a minute, both being a bit too stubborn in their views to concede defeat. It was not long, however, before a small yip from Akamaru started the conversation once more.

"Heh, good boy," Kiba said, patting the dog on the head. "You're right, Naruto. I shouldn't have brought that up. I know how tough it must be for you."

"Yeah, but I know what you mean," the vulpine boy replied, "It's just… I'm not ready, you know? I guess if you don't want to talk about it, I can't exactly make you…"

"No, I want to talk about it," the dog-boy continued, "I just wasn't quite sure how to put it. You see… it's about Hinata."

"Really, what about Hinata?" Naruto asked, his thick-headedness showing once again.

"I… can't find the right thing to say to her, you know?" Kiba said in frustration. "It's like, I'll have it all perfect in mind head, but then when I actually try to say something, it comes out all wrong."

"Have you tried just being yourself?" Naruto suggested. "That's what that bastard Sasuke always does, and he has girls practically flocking to him."

"It's not that simple, though! I try to be myself! I try to talk to her, make jokes, do anything to get her attention, but I can never seem to make any progress. She's always too focused on you!" Kiba exclaimed, becoming more animated as he spoke.

"On me? What are you talking about?" the blonde asked in bewilderment.

"What, you never noticed?" Kiba asked in disbelief. "The way she always turns beet red when you're around? How she has to turn away if you look in her general direction? She's in love with you, Naruto!"

Naruto thought about this for a moment, a bit stunned by the revelation. It made sense why Hinata always seemed so jittery. But what was he supposed to do about it?

"Wait, why are you telling me all this, Kiba?"

"Because you can help me, Naruto!" the Inuzuka replied. "Hinata will listen to you! I just need you to talk to her, try to get her to notice me."

"I don't know…" Naruto said skeptically, "wouldn't that be a little… manipulative?"

"It doesn't need to be anything serious," Kiba clarified, "I just need you to mention me the next time you see her. Maybe if she hears it from you, it'll actually stick."

Naruto still was not quite sure. Sure, it sounded innocent enough, but it did not seem right playing with Hinata's feelings like that.

"Look, Naruto, I'm not asking a lot of you here," the dog-boy said flatly. "I just need for you to talk to her. This is love, we're talking about! I'd do the same for you!"

It was true. Kiba was the kind of guy that would do anything for a friend, and it made Naruto feel a bit guilty to think that he was turning down such a simple request. He still felt uneasy about it, but the blonde felt like it was his duty to help friend in need.

"Alright, I'll play cupid for you," Naruto said with a sigh, "Just don't say that I never do anything for you."

"Thank you, Naruto! You have no idea how much this means to me!" Kiba exclaimed as he leapt off the couch, sending poor Akamaru flying across the room.

Thus, it was in high spirits that Naruto wound down for the night, glad to be helping out a friend, and yet completely unaware of the disaster said aid would bring.

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The plot thickens... how will all of this turn out? Tune in next time and, again, all comments are helpful!


	4. Chapter 3

Alright, so I got chapter three up here now. I'm not sure when the next update will be, since I have exams coming up and everything, but I'll try not to keep you waiting too long!

Oh, and I have to acknowledge those who reviewed! While I love all of my readers, reviewers have to get a little something special, right? So... everyone who reviewed gets some free digital cake. Enjoy!

zutara-is-evil-kataang-rules - I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far, and I hope you enjoy what's still to come!

Rose Tiger - You'll just have to keep reading to find out!

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Chapter 3

Hinata Hyuuga sat at her little desk in the corner, furiously scribbling down what Kakashi Hatake was saying. She loved poetry, she really did, but the way this man taught was so… intense. She had already filled up half the pages in her notebook, and it was only the second day of class. It was not long, however, before Kakashi stopped lecturing and, as usual, proceeded to read while the class went about their studies.

Many students broke out assignments for other classes or began to doodle on their desks, but Hinata decided to look ahead in her textbook and read some more poems. It was amazing to her, how these great authors could string their words together to make the ordinary become supernatural. Everything was so eloquent, the images all so perfect; it made Hinata jealous that she could never speak so beautifully. Instead, whenever she tried to express her feelings, all that came out was a series of pathetic stutters.

She tried so hard to overcome that fear, too, to work up the courage to actually speak and make herself heard. What was it that always held her back? Why was it that whenever Naruto walked into the room, she had to look away with that embarrassed look? Why couldn't she just tell him how she felt? It was supposed to be different this year. It was supposed to be the year that she finally told that certain blonde boy that she was madly in love with him and always had been. Then he would say the same, and they would share a passionate kiss as they rode off into the sunset…

_Oh no, am I blushing again?_

Hinata put a hand to her unusually warm cheek before burying her face deep into the book, hoping that the pages would conceal her bashful countenance. She knew it was pathetic, being so hopelessly in love that she could not even think about the boy without turning as red as a tomato, but there was little she could do about it.

Sure, she could try talking to the boy, as she had on countless occasions, but every time she opened her mouth, a different part of her took over. While her heart wanted nothing more than to express its true feelings, her subconscious always brought up alternate scenarios. What if he already has a girlfriend? Does he even want a girlfriend? What if he's gay? That would be embarrassing…

No matter what the excuse might have been for the given day, though, Hinata knew deep down what her real fear was: what if he says no? It was more than she could possibly bear, the thought of the heartbreak that would ensue. Most people would tell her that there are other fish in the sea and try to console her, but they would be wrong. Hinata knew that in all the world, there was only one Naruto Uzumaki.

As the other students around her began to break into hushed conversations, Hinata glanced to her left, where she could see the boy of her dreams furiously erasing something on his paper, his tongue sticking out in concentration. To anyone else it would have seemed amusing, watching Naruto focus so intently on his work, but to the Hyuuga it was somehow… charming. It was just the sort of affect he had on the poor girl, that phenomena where even the most ordinary aspects of his personality took on a surreal quality. His bright, yellow hair glowed like sunshine, his eyes were deep, glimmering sapphires that brimmed with a masked wisdom, and his smile was always filled with such a warm gentleness that it made Hinata feel safe and secure in an otherwise daunting world.

_You're doing it again, Hinata! Get a hold of yourself!_

Just as the girl hurriedly pushed her face back into the pages of her book, she heard the bell ring, followed by the shuffling of bodies as everyone bolted for the door. Hinata took the time to pack her things before exiting the room, her thoughts still lingering on the blonde boy.

_I can't go on like this; it's pathetic. I have to tell him somehow… I have to let him know how I feel. _

It was the thought that remained on the Hyuuga's mind for the rest of the day. She was constantly moving back and forth between the two options, as she usually did when the topic came up. On the one hand, there was the thought that, unless she spoke up, she would never know how Naruto truly felt. On the other, though, was that fear that it was better to live in a state of doubt than to know for certain that her love would never be returned.

Thus, it was with a very dismal mindset that Hinata ended her school day, hardly even paying attention to where she was going as she brushed by people in the hallway. All of her movements became very mechanical as her mind focused entirely on what she was going to do about this feeling that kept gnawing at her day after day. Why did she even bother with her studies anymore? No success would ever bring her the happiness she wanted. It all seemed so very futile, a hopeless cycle that could only end in death or utter defeat.

_Forget the family business. Let Neji take over; he's the gifted one, after all. Why waste their time on me when they have the perfect candidate waiting to prove himself._

As she stood there under the school's awning, struggling to stay dry in the sudden downpour, Hinata slowly felt her bitterness towards her cousin turn to mild anxiety. Where was Neji, anyway? He was supposed to give her a ride home today, but as far as they shy Hyuuga could tell he was nowhere to be found.

_Of all the days to forget to pick me up, why did it have to be today?_

Hinata took one last look around the deserted parking lot, hoping that she had simply overlooked her cousin's distinct, cherry red convertible. Of course, the Hyuuga's keen sense of observation had prevailed once again, however, and Hinata resigned herself to a long walk home in the rain. Before she could set a foot upon the damp sidewalk, though, she heard a familiar, if unexpected, voice call out from behind.

"Hey, Hinata! Wait up!"

The pale Hyuuga turned around slowly to find a grinning blonde boy, umbrella clasped in his hand. Almost immediately, Hinata felt a little bit woozy as the blood rushed to her face. "N-naruto… w-what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Naruto said as he stepped forward, "Weren't you supposed to go home with Neji?"

"Oh, well… um… I-I guess he d-didn't wait for me," Hinata murmured whilst nervously pressing the tips of her fingers together.

"Why didn't you say so?" the blonde exclaimed as he placed a hand on the Hyuuga's shoulder. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

Hinata stood there for a moment with a blank, bewildered stare. Naruto… offering her a walk home? For a moment she thought that she had dozed off in class, that this was all some sort of sweet dream. Then she remembered her cold, rain-soaked shoes and the lack of a noble steed and realized that she never could have conjured up this mess. Thus, it was with a furiously beating heart that Hinata gave her response.

"Oh, uh, th-thank you… Naruto."

"Don't mention it," the blonde replied as he pulled Hinata to his side beneath the shelter of his bright, orange umbrella.

For a brief moment, Hinata was sure that she was in heaven. Being so close to the boy of her dreams, to actually have her face leaning upon his shoulder as they walked… it was all so very sudden. For all Hinata knew, the entire world might have stopped, for all of her attention was focused on the blonde beside her. The feel of his black jacket against her skin, the surprisingly pleasant, musky odor: the Hyuuga drew it all in and engraved it on the very fabric of her soul as they walked along the dampened street.

"So… Hinata," Naruto said rather awkwardly, scratching his head with his free hand. "Kiba was telling me yesterday that you went to the tropics this summer."

"K-Kiba?" Hinata repeated in confusion as she snapped out of her daydream. "Oh… umm… yes, I told him that. Y-you two are roommates, right?"

"Yeah, we share an apartment right across from Ichiraku Ramen," said cheerfully, his eyes widening somewhat at the thought of his favorite food. "You should come visit us sometime. I'm sure Kiba would love to see you."

_Did he just invite me over to his house? Oh my… calm down, Hinata! He didn't mean anything by it… Probably just being polite…_

"Hinata? Is something wrong?" Naruto suddenly asked, bending down so that he and the Hyuuga were at eye level. "Your face is all red."

The pale girl instinctively put a hand over her face and turned to the side as she responded. "Oh…um… i-it's nothing. I just…"

"Really? Let me take a look," the blonde replied as he gently pushed Hinata's hand off and placed his own on her forehead. "I don't know, you feel pretty warm. Are you sure you're not sick or anything?"

The young Hyuuga was relatively certain that she could have died of embarrassment at that very moment. "No, no I'm fine! I mean… I just h-have a little cold… that's it."

Naruto gave the girl one last skeptical look before giving a defeated sigh. "Alright, if you say so. I just thought you might like to get some ramen with me and Kiba. That always hits the spots when I have a cold."

_What? Is he asking me out to dinner? He's moving so fast…_

"Umm… m-maybe some other time," Hinata murmured, her heart racing and her head spinning with confusion. "I-I probably should be getting home."

Naruto looked visibly disappointed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper, which he pressed into the Hyuuga's open palm. "Okay, if you change your mind, though, just give me a call. I put Kiba's number on there too if you want to do something with him. Alright?"

Hinata honestly did not know what to say; she just stared at the paper in her hand, wondering what possibly could have happened to make Naruto notice her all of a sudden. "T-thank you, Naruto. I'll… I'll remember that."

Naruto gave the girl his signature, goofy grin before turning to leave, only to stop mid-step. "Wait, I can't leave you alone in the rain like this!"

"Oh… no, I'll be fine, Naruto," Hinata responded sheepishly. "I-I can make it fine from here."

"No, I insist," the blonde responded as he turned to offer the Hyuuga his umbrella. "Wouldn't want your cold to get any worse, would we?"

"B-but what about you, Naruto?" Hinata asked as she gratefully accepted the proffered umbrella. "How will you get home?"

"Don't worry about me," Naruto responded with a cocky smirk, "Kiba's always saying I should join the track team. Maybe if I hurry I can get home without even getting wet."

Before Hinata could object to the blonde's insane logic, Naruto took off running into the rain, waving playfully over his shoulder as he went. For a moment the Hyuuga just stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, watching as the boy of her dreams disappeared into the summer mist. So many questions were still racing through her mind that it was hard for her to grasp what had just occurred.

_Why did he notice me today? Was he just being nice? Or does he actually… like me?_

The moment that particular thought crossed her mind, all of the Hyuuga's questions vanished in an instant. It didn't matter _why_ Naruto had talked to her. It didn't matter _why_ he had offered to walk her home. The fact of the matter was that he _did_ notice her; he _did_ offer to walk her home. As strange as it all seemed, Naruto had reached out to her today; he had finally given Hinata the attention she had desired for so many years, and that was enough. Everything else would be made clear in time.

Thus, with a warm, serene smile Hinata Hyuuga started off toward her home, her beloved, orange umbrella blocking out the dreariness of the outside world.

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And... that's it for this chapter! Be sure to tune in next time and, of course, review! 


	5. Chapter 4

Alright, I managed to get this chapter done a bit faster than I expected. It's longer than any of my previous chapters, but that just means there's more to love, right? Anyway, it might be a while before the next one, but I promise it will come eventually!

Oh, and before I forget, Han-Ko and Maki-Zushi, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! You get some digital brownies for reviewing, but I send my love to all my readers!

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Chapter 4

Naruto sat in Asuma Sarutobi's philosophy course the next day with blurred vision and sinking feeling in his gut. It had taken him a bit longer than he expected to get home the day before, and thus he had arrived completely soaked to the bone. He had cursed out Kiba pretty bad about the whole ordeal, since he only walked Hinata home so that he could keep his promise to the dog-boy. Sure, it was his fault for leaving his umbrella behind like an idiot, but that was all beside the point. All the blonde was worried about was ending up with a cold for the rest of the month.

Unfortunately, as he stared in the general direction of the blackboard, Naruto knew that things were much worse than he had anticipated. His face was burning up, he so nauseous that he felt like he would lose his lunch any minute, and he felt a distinct chill running down his spine.

Why did he even come to school today? He wasn't exactly feeling any better that morning, but he thought he would be able to tough it out for a few hours. Glancing up at the hazy shape of the clock, though, Naruto knew that he wouldn't last much longer.

_What was I thinking? "If I hurry I can get home without even getting wet." What was I trying to prove? Stupid…_

Naruto sluggishly shook his head and tried to focus on what Asuma was saying, but it was no use. He could barely understand what the man was saying on a normal day, but with all these other distractions, it was completely futile. Thus, the blonde relented to his body's desires and weakly raised his hand in defeat.

"What is it, Naruto? Do you have a question?" Asuma asked, sounding somewhat irritated at being cut off in his speech.

"Uh… yeah," the vulpine boy said in a frail voice. "May… may I be excused… Asuma?"

The bearded instructor looked down at the student for a minute before giving a heavy sigh. "Alright. Be sure to get the notes from someone tomorrow, though."

"Sure," Naruto mumbled as he slung his backpack over his shoulder.

The blonde wasn't sure how he was going to make it home in this state. He didn't have any change for the bus, but there was no way he could walk all the way back to his apartment. These worries were all for naught, however, for no sooner had Naruto shut the door behind him than he finally succumbed to his fatigue and fell unconscious to the ground.

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Hinata had been watching Naruto from across the room throughout the course of Asuma's lecture, he concern growing with every passing minute. She knew it had been stupid to let him run home in the rain like that, and seeing the blonde in such a weakened state only confirmed her suspicions. It didn't make any sense to her why he didn't just go home. He wasn't going to get better without any rest. And what about Kiba? Why didn't he tell Naruto to stay home that morning? Then again, would Naruto even listen if he did?

Just as these questions were passing through her mind, however, Hinata saw the blonde's hand slowly rise and felt somewhat comforted, thinking that he might finally get some much-needed rest. When the Hyuuga saw Naruto rise from his chair, his limbs shaking somewhat under the sudden wait, her concern increased twofold.

Thus, it was with a sense of urgency that Hinata felt her hand shoot up just as the blonde left the room. She did not even wait to be called on, but instead interrupted Asuma with an unusually strong voice.

"Asuma, may I be excused as well?" Hinata started, only to back off somewhat in embarrassment before continuing. "I mean, I'm worried about Naruto going home alone in his condition."

The gruff teacher stared at the Hyuuga, mouth agape at the shock of hearing the shy girl speak so assertively, if only for a moment. "Yes, you're probably right, Hinata. Thank you for being heads up."

"Thank you, Asuma," Hinata responded as she grabbed her belongings and rushed for the door, hoping to catch up with the sickly blonde.

Naturally, the Hyuuga had no need to hurry, for upon bursting into the hallway she tripped right over Naruto's limp form, sending her books and papers flying into the air. Once Hinata realized what had happened, she picked herself off the ground and rushed to the vulpine boy's side, hoping that she hadn't made his condition any worse.

"N-Naruto, are you… are you okay?" she asked, shaking the blonde slightly as she spoke.

"Hmm, Hinata?" Naruto responded in confusion as he opened one eye halfway. "What's going on?"

"Y-you mean you don't remember?"

When the fallen boy shook his head slightly, Hinata's concern suddenly escalated to unprecedented levels. _He's worse than I thought. I have to get him home right away before something serious happens to him_.

"Come on, Naruto," Hinata ordered as she tugged gently on the blonde's arm. "I'm taking you home."

"What? No, I can make it on my own," Naruto said meekly once he was up on his feet. "No need for you to miss class because of me."

Naruto turned and gave Hinata a distinctively forced grin before starting for the exit. After only a few steps, however, he soon stumbled forward once again, forcing the Hyuuga to rush to his side once again.

"Naruto, I'm coming with you and that's final," Hinata said firmly as she lifted the blonde back onto his feet.

It took them a moment to actually get a good balance, but soon Hinata was successfully guiding Naruto through the hallway, with the vulpine boy's arm wrapped around her shoulder for support. As they made their way out of the school, the shy Hyuuga began to question whether this was actually a good idea, as she was already beginning to falter under Naruto's weight. At the same time, though, the girl felt that she could not abandon the boy of her dreams in his hour of need, and so she ignored this physical strain and pressed on.

They did not move at a particularly fast pace. It was clearly difficult enough for Naruto to even stand, let alone walk, and Hinata slowed down to match his own speed. Thus, what normally would have been a fifteen-minute walk was drawn out to a full hour filled only with the sound of Naruto's labored breathing.

For whatever reason, though, it was not at all awkward for the Hyuuga. The love struck feeling that had dominated their walk home the previous day had fled and was now replaced by worry. There was no time for her to admire the blonde as he limped along beside her; all that mattered was making sure he got better, and forcing Naruto to speak would not help at all.

Thus, it was only when they came to the apartment complex that the vulpine boy spoke up, though his voice was clearly strained. "It's the third one… on the second floor."

"Do you have the key?" Hinata asked, as they slowly made their way up the staircase.

"Yeah, just a sec," Naruto responded as he procured the key from his pocket.

Hinata took the key gratefully, but did not say another word, fearing that it would prompt the boy into speaking again. Once they had reached Naruto's apartment, she quickly unlocked the door and helped the blonde inside before laying him down gently on the couch.

"Thanks… Hinata," Naruto murmured with a sigh of relief. "I think I can handle things on my own now…"

"Naruto, you're sick; I can't leave you alone unless I'm sure you'll be alright," the Hyuuga said as she pressed a hand to the blonde's forehead. "Oh my, you're burning up!"

"I'm fine, really, Hinata," Naruto insisted, though his feeble attempts to push the girl away said otherwise. "I just need to get some rest."

"Don't talk; you'll only strain yourself and make things worse," Hinata said in a worried, if stern, tone. "Here, lift your arms up over your head."

Naruto eyed the girl curiously for a moment before obediently raising his arms, though it was no easy feat in his current state. Once he had done so, Hinata grabbed the base of his heavy t-shirt and quickly removed it, tossing it onto the floor as she moved further south.

"Umm, Hinata, what are you doing?" the blonde asked warily as the Hyuuga pulled off his shoes.

"You have a horrible fever, Naruto," Hinata explained flatly. "It'll only get worse if you're all bundled up like this."

Before the vulpine boy could protest any further, Hinata swiftly removed the boy's orange pants and added them to the pile. _What else are you supposed to do when you have a fever… water! That's right, lots of water._

The Hyuuga quickly removed herself from Naruto's side and made her way into the kitchen, where she found a glass that she instantly filled with water. From the other room she could hear the blonde whining about it being too cold, but she simply ignored this as she soaked a nearby washcloth in some cool water. It was hard, knowing that that her Naruto was suffering, but she could not give in to his complaints. Unless they managed to control his fever, there was no telling how bad his condition could get.

"Here, Naruto, drink up," Hinata ordered as she handed over the glass of water. When he finally did take a sip, the Hyuuga proceeded to place the washcloth on the blonde's feverish brow, saying, "Now, try and get some sleep, okay?"

Naruto merely nodded in response, prompting Hinata to turn and head towards the opposite side of the room. After a few steps, however, she heard the blonde call out in his pathetically faint voice, saying, "Hinata…"

"Yes, Naruto?" the Hyuuga responded, looking back at the vulpine boy with concern.

"Thanks."

Once this single word had left the blonde's mouth, his eyes sealed shut and his pained breathing steadied as he drifted off to sleep. Hinata was glad that he had, because she was relatively certain that anything she said would have ruined that perfect little moment.

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She sat for roughly an hour in Naruto's apartment, just watching the boy as he slept, with only occasional breaks to remoisten the washcloth on his forehead. He looked so peaceful, lying there on the couch, a thin stream of drool oozing from the corner of his mouth. He looked so peaceful, in fact, that Hinata momentarily forgot how sick he truly was, causing her concern to momentarily drift to the back of her mind.

It was in that moment that it suddenly struck the Hyuuga: she was in Naruto's apartment. How hadn't she noticed it before? Was she really that focused on the blonde's well being? Whatever the case, Hinata decided that now was the perfect time to actually explore her dream boy's humble abode.

As it turned out, she did not exactly have a whole lot to explore. The apartment was essentially broken up into four rooms: two bedrooms, a bathroom, and one main living space. In spite of this fact, though, Hinata made it a point to take in every little detail. She memorized every single movie that was on the shelf, never once questioning which belonged to Kiba and which belonged to her beloved Naruto. Just a quick glance at the titles made that all quite evident.

_Monty Python- That's Naruto's. Pulp Fiction- That's Kiba's. Enter the Dragon- Naruto's…_

The same process went with the blonde's videogames, and music, and every other piece of media in that living space. As insignificant as they all seemed, to Hinata it felt as if she was getting to know the boy just by browsing his collection. Even the stacks of instant ramen in the kitchen had a sort of majestic quality to the Hyuuga, who decided to briefly sort through them all, trying to learn which brands and flavors were his favorite.

Before long, however, Hinata came to the one part of her little exploration that she had been purposely avoiding: Naruto's room. She wanted nothing more than to enter into his domain, to get that one step closer to truly understanding who the blonde was.

As she made her way down the narrow hallway, however, Hinata could not help but feel a bit of guilty in what she was about to do. On the one hand, Naruto _had_ let her into his apartment, so there was no real reason to think that his room would be off limits. But, then again, Hinata knew that she was betraying his trust by intruding on his personal space. Soon, the Hyuuga was simply standing at the end of the hallway, he hand on the cold, metal knob, her heart pounding at the prospect of what was waiting on the other side.

_Alright, this is the moment of truth. Forgive me, Naruto…_

Thus, with a deep breath, Hinata slowly cracked the door open and peaked inside. As she finally stepped inside, however, the curious Hyuuga felt that something was wrong. From the posters of bikini-clad women covering the walls to the various articles of clothing scattered across the room, all swathed in a fine layer of hair, every little detail about the area made one thing perfectly clear: she was in the wrong room.

_Of course! This must be Kiba's room. Strange, I don't remember him saying anything about having a dog._

Just as that particular thought crossed her mind, a distinct growling sound arose off to the side, causing Hinata to freeze up in terror. Looking over, she found a small, white puppy approaching her slowly, its teeth bared in a pathetic attempt to look fierce. The Hyuuga was not concerned for safety, however, but was instead worried that the inevitable barking frenzy would awake the blonde in the other room.

"Ssh, quiet doggy," Hinata said pleadingly as she backed towards the door. "I'm leaving, okay? Just… stay quiet."

Before the poor girl could shut the door, though, Akamaru began to yip in an excessive manner, forcing Hinata to cringe at the thought of being caught in such an incriminating position. How was she going to explain why she was in Kiba's room? She didn't even know why she was in there herself!

As she rushed back to the living room, however, Hinata found that her fears were all for naught. Naruto was still fast asleep, even though Akamaru's high-pitched barking could still be heard from down the hall. She let out a sigh as she knelt down on the floor beside her precious blonde, thankful that she had not ruined her chance to be with him, if only for a while. It was only once she had regained her composure, however, that Hinata finally realized what was lying before her. Somehow, while she was so caught up in treating the blonde and exploring his apartment, she had failed to notice that she had left him in a rather exposed state on the couch.

_This isn't right. Naruto's sick, I shouldn't be treating him like eye candy. I need to just look away and…_

In spite of her best efforts, though, Hinata's curiosity ultimately prevailed and, her face burning red with embarrassment, she thus proceeded to survey the half-naked blonde as he slept. Everything about the boy was better than she had imagined, from his slightly protruding chest to his smooth, flat stomach, and Hinata wanted nothing more than to be able to feel his skin against hers, to be as close as physically possible. For the moment, though, she knew that this was out of the question, and instead continued to watch her precious blonde in admiration.

How was it even possible for one person to be so perfect? To have those beautifully soft eyes, that distinctively bright yellow hair, and that perfect body that managed to be titillating without having that intimidating, muscle bound appearance. Even his skin had that ideal, light tan that enveloped his body, save for what was underneath his heart-patterned boxers; Hinata could only imagine what things were like down there.

_Easy, Hinata! Get a hold of yourself! Breathe in… breathe out…_

Once she had snapped out of her momentary daydream, the Hyuuga forced herself to look away from Naruto's concealed nether-region and instead turned her attention back to the blonde's sleeping face. Instead of finding a peaceful, slightly drooling countenance waiting for her, however, Hinata discovered that Naruto's brow was covered in sweat, in spite of the fact that his fever had since receded, and that mouth had contorted to a slight grimace. For a moment, the pale girl thought that the washcloth on his head might be bothering him, but upon removing it she found that Naruto only began to turn restlessly on the couch as he murmured some indecipherable phrases.

As she watched this pitiful scene play out before her, Hinata felt at a complete loss about what she should do. While she knew that Naruto would only get better if he rested, it was quite evident that he was in greater torment in his sleep than he was while awake. After vacillating on the issue for a few brief moments, Hinata finally decided to wake the boy, and thus began to reach down to shake him out of his nightmare. Before she could lay a hand on the blonde, however, he suddenly sat up on the couch, tears streaming down his cheeks as he yelled, "Get away from me!"

While Naruto's words seemed to hang on the air, Hinata simply sat in silence, staring blankly at the boy's pained face. _Is he talking to me? Should I leave? Should I say something?_ It seemed like an eternity to the poor Hyuuga as remained rooted to the floor, praying that Naruto would actually speak. A few seconds was all it really took, though, for the blonde to become aware of his surroundings once again, and it was not very long after that he recognized the pale figure in his midst.

"You're still here, Hinata?" Naruto said meekly as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. "How long was I out for?"

"Oh… only for a couple of hours," the Hyuuga responded, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"I see…" the blonde said, though it was clear that something was eating away at him. "Did I… say anything when I was asleep?"

"Well, yeah… umm, as a matter of fact you did," Hinata said as she tried to find a delicate way to address the situation. "You said, 'get away from me…'"

"Damn, I was afraid of that," Naruto said with a heavy sigh as he slouched back on the couch. "I didn't mean you, if that's what you were thinking, okay?"

_Okay, so he doesn't hate me… that's a relief._

"Oh, I figured that it was just a dream," the Hyuuga lied as she inched closer to the blonde. "But, Naruto… who were you talking to? I mean, if it's a secret or something that's fine, but if I can help in some way, then-"

"It's fine, Hinata," Naruto interrupted with a forced, yet reassuring smile. "I guess it wouldn't be right to leave you in the dark after you've done so much for me today."

"Please, I don't want you to feel obligated to tell me anything, Naruto. It was my decision to help you, anyway, so if you're not ready-"

"Hinata! It's okay!" the vulpine boy interjected once again, his voice somewhat raised to cover the Hyuuga's ramblings. "I… I want you to know."

_He _wants_ to tell me? Maybe he's still delirious. But if that's the case, I still have to stay and make sure he doesn't hurt himself, right? So, either way, I should just listen to what he has to say…_

"Did I ever tell you about my parents, Hinata?" Naruto asked as he stared up at the smooth, white ceiling. "You know, who they were and stuff?"

_Well, no… but, then again, you'd have to have been living under a rock not to know about the famous Kyuubi murders…_

"No, you never did," Hinata said, feeling a bit uneasy about where the conversation was headed.

"Well, my mom was a straight-A student in high school, ready to head off to college and study medicine. My dad dropped out of school at seventeen and started working at a local gas station. They met at a little club downtown; apparently he used some cheesy pickup line, and it was love at first sight.

"They kept on seeing each other for the next couple of months, going to movies, having dinner, stupid things like that. He would always pick her up in his rundown pickup truck, and they'd go drive down to the lake and watch the sunset over the water. That was her favorite spot; she said that's when she knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with my dad, was the first time he brought her there.

"That's so romantic," Hinata said, having completely forgotten just whom she was talking about.

"Yeah, apparently that's what she thought, 'cause nine months later I was born," Naruto said, his voice filled with resentment. "They'd already been married for a few months, of course, but my mom had to drop out of school to raise me. My mom's parents refused to give us any help; hell, they wouldn't even talk to us. My dad's parents weren't exactly any better, so we were pretty much on our own. They had to move in to a small, one bedroom apartment downtown… come to think of it this place seems like a mansion by comparison. My dad had to take on a second job across town as a janitor, 'cause, really, how many jobs are there for a high school dropout? And that's how things were for the first two years of my life."

"How do you remember all of this, Naruto?" Hinata asked, awed by the detail of the blonde's story. "I mean, you were so young…"

"I managed to piece it together over the years from photographs, dreams, pretty much anything I could find," Naruto explained, though he was apparently to lost in thought to give the subject the attention it deserved. "Anyway, right around my second birthday things started to fall apart. My dad started drinking, and it got to the point where he would stumble home around two or three in the morning, wasted. I can remember waiting up for him some nights, standing by the window, hoping to see him come walking up the street.

"Sometimes he wouldn't come back at all. He'd be gone for days, sometimes only stopping by with enough money to pay the bills. My mom confronted him about this one night and he beat her to a pulp. I remember she came to feed me the next day and I was horrified by all of the cuts and bruises on her face. She never brought up money with my dad again, and over the next six months the gap between his visits grew, until I sometimes forgot that I even had a dad at all."

_Oh no, this is it. Should I stop him? I've never heard him talk about his parents like this before. Not even with Kiba. What if he's not ready… I can't let him do this._

When Hinata opened her mouth to protest, however, she found that no sound could come out. Her need to learn about Naruto, to hear his past overwhelmed any other concerns she might have. Thus, she continued to sit with an attentive stare, her gut twisting with the knowledge of what was to come.

"And then it happened," Naruto continued with an enigmatic tone. "April 10, 1993; to think it's really been that long. Anyway, it was just a day like any other, really. Dad had stopped by a few days before to give us his "pound of flesh." My mom and I were just sitting around in our tattered clothes 'cause, really, with only fifty dollars a month, you kind of run out of options. Right around nightfall it started storming outside, rain beating against the windowpane, flashes of lighting illuminating the streets below. I was scared and crawled into my mom's lap as we watched the storm.

"That's when he came. It wasn't unusual for him to come home unannounced like this, but I remember there was something a little… off about him. I think it was his smile. We only had one light on, to save on the electric bill, but I could definitely see his face, and that smile scared me more than any storm ever could.

"My mom must have known what was coming, because as soon as she saw him enter the room, she told me to run. I was confused, and could only watch in terror as my dad pulled out his knife. It wasn't any small knife, either, it was something more like a long, kitchen knife. My mom kept yelling at me to run as she held him off, but my legs were frozen. And that's how I saw it, quivering in the corner. My dad broke free, and stabbed my mom right in the chest. That was all it took, that one stab. My mom didn't even have time to scream.

"That silence haunts me still, more than the image of her falling to the floor, her eyes glazed over, more than the sight of her blood covering his knife; just that silence. Nobody cared that she was dead, the world didn't stop. I couldn't even say anything; I just watched the whole thing from the corner. Even to this day, I can't be sure if at that moment I cared whether she was alive or dead. All I knew was that I was scared and I wanted it all to be over."

_Why is he still talking? Why does he insist on reliving that night?_

"It didn't end there, though," Naruto continued in his unusually stoic manner. "No, he just stood over my mom's dead body for a minute and then set his sights on me. That's what I was dreaming about; that moment when our eyes met and I felt like I was staring at the devil himself. He didn't kill me, though; he just walked over to me and picked me up in his bloody hands. I didn't resist, either… I just let him throw me over his shoulder, like I was a piece of luggage or something. I remember when he turned to leave the apartment, I saw my mom's still eyes staring straight at me as he shut the light off. I don't know how to explain it, but… it was like, even in death, she was in pain…

"I didn't have a jacket or anything that night, so I got soaked pretty quickly out in the storm. I wasn't sure of where we were going or what was going to happen, and I'm still not sure what was going through my dad's mind. We walked across town in the storm, though, and the whole way he didn't say a word. He just pressed on with that bloody knife in his hand, determined to finish his deed.

"There was no one out that night, for some reason… it was like they knew not to get involved. It probably took us a good hour of walking, but soon we came to another apartment complex, one a bit nicer than ours. He didn't waste any time, either; he set me down, broke down the first door he found, and set to work. Three people in that house: a woman and her two daughters. They were watching television. The girls screamed, the mom fled to the kitchen, and my dad followed. When I think about it, I'm sure she was trying to call the police, but she couldn't get past 9-1. Cut across the throat. That's how she went down, blood splattered on the white kitchen walls. My dad went after the girls next, though they weren't really a challenge for him. They were just cowering in the corner. He grabbed the older girl first and stabbed her three times, one in the chest, one in the stomach, and one in the back. She had enough time to scream, enough time to feel that blade slice through.

"The younger girl ran, though… ran right for the door. That's where I was. I guess she didn't see me, because she bumped into me and fell to the ground. My dad caught up then; pulled her up by her arm so that he could look her in the eye. She couldn't have been older than five, but my dad didn't care. He… he slit her throat, right in front of me. She didn't die right away either. I remember, he dropped her to the ground, and for a few seconds she turned to me, and I saw a tear run down her eye. She didn't have the time to mourn the loss of her mom and sister… she had all of that taken away from her, Hinata! And it's my fault! I was in her way! If I… if I had just moved, she could have run to the police and told them. She could have ended all of that, but instead… I killed her!"

As Naruto burst into tears and began to weep in torment, Hinata felt at a complete loss for words. What was there to say, really? He had just poured his heart out, telling her his darkest secret, the most painful experience in his life. Nothing she could say would ever heal that wound. No words could ever do justice to what Naruto went through that night.

"We… we went to three other houses that night before the police came," the blonde started once more as he struggled to withhold his sobs. "Three houses, ten people, all killed in the same way. Some tried to put up a fight, but my dad… he didn't care. He even took a bullet to the chest at the second house and kept moving, driven by his thirst for blood. And every time he took another victim, I was there standing in the doorway to watch. I couldn't even look away. I was just so… scared; I thought if I looked away for even a second I'd end up just like them.

"When the cops finally came, my dad… he had just finished killing a young couple in their sleep. They broke into the room and gave him one warning to put the knife down. Instead, he pulled me in and put the blade to my throat, right beneath the chin. I could feel it there, the cold, bloodstained steel against my skin. I was sure I was going to die, but the police didn't waste any more time. They opened fire, shot him three times in the head. I can remember his blood running down on top of me as he fell back, though I was more focused on the knife falling to the ground.

"That was the end of Kyuubi's infamous rampage. The police cleaned me up down at the station. 'Everything's gonna be alright, little fella,' they kept saying, like everyone was going to come back to life, like that girl was already back at home with her mom and sister, watching TV like nothing ever happened. I knew they were wrong, though; they were all gone. Every one of those people were lying in their homes; cold, still, and covered in dried blood.

"I stayed at the police station for three days while they tried to find me a home. No one would take me in, though, so they finally sent me away to the orphanage. I never really got over what happened… I still wonder if there was anything I could've done, something that would've saved all those people. It… it just hurts, you know?"

Hinata stared at the blonde, tears welling up in his eyes, and felt a very strong pang in her heart. This was his secret. This was what he had been living with all these years. She had known about Kyuubi, but it was so different hearing Naruto actually talk about it. To know what he felt, what he still feels… it made it all seem so real. How could he still go on with that weighing down on him? Hinata had always admired the vulpine boy's courage, the way he never gave up, how he always managed to grin even in the darkest times. To think that behind that smile was such a tormented past… it gave a whole new meaning to word strength.

The silence between the two lasted for a few minutes, each looking at the other and saying with their eyes exactly what needed to be said. Hinata's expressed her sympathy, the pain that she felt for the blonde, while Naruto's showed the anguish in such a raw, poignant form that it made the Hyuuga's stomach churn. Finally, the pale girl rose to her feet and gazed down at the blonde, unsure of what exactly she should say.

"Naruto, I… I'm sorry… sorry that I made you go through all of that again. If it's any consolation… I don't think there was anything you could've done. I'm sure that doesn't mean much to you, but… it's how I feel," the Hyuuga said, frustrated that she could not express her sympathy for the blonde. "M-maybe I should just go…"

"Wait, Hinata," Naruto said softly as the girl turned to leave. "I need you here. I… I don't want to be alone."

Hearing these words, the Hyuuga turned back to the vulpine boy with a sigh and took a seat beside him on the couch. After a few quick adjustments, she soon found herself with Naruto's head lying cuddled up in her lap. They sat like that for a while without saying a word. It could have been an hour, it could have been a few minutes; Hinata didn't care. All she was concerned for was comforting her Naruto, showing that she cared, that she could be there for him. Apparently her message got through, because right before the exhausted blonde fell asleep, she saw a slight smile cross his face, and even though it was small, that one sign of happiness said more than words ever could.

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Poor Naruto! He always has it so tough... anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I encourage you to review. Even simple little comments are great motivation to keep writing! 


	6. Chapter 5

Okay, I know... this chapter is late. I'm sorry! I got a little lost on the path of life... by which I mean it was Christmas and I had no time whatsoever to write. Anyway, here's the new chapter. Oh, and before I forget, I have some responses for my precious reviewers! You all get digital sundaes, enjoy!

GreyFox2113- I'm glad you're enjoying it! Don't worry, I plan on seeing this story through 'til the end.

Han-Ko - Thanks for the review! I know what you mean about Naruto; I felt sick for the poor guy when I was writing that chapter...

Rose Tiger- I'm glad Naruto's suffering affected you. I thought witnessing such suffering might act as a real world equivalent of a demon fox...

Ubermac- I don't want to give anything away, but your prediction is pretty close to what happens. Good guess! Oh, and as for Yondaime... I really wanted to include him somehow, but it just didn't pan out. Sorry to disappoint...

Anyway, on to the chapter!

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Chapter 5

Hinata sat there on Naruto's couch for over an hour, the blonde's head resting in her lap, before she decided to make her leave. She had wanted to make sure Naruto was okay, that he would be able to rest without being haunted by the memories of Kyuubi. From the moment he fell asleep, though, Naruto had appeared quite peaceful, a slight, almost angelic smile gracing his face as his gentle snores filled the room.

_How could he possibly feel… relieved after telling me that story? Why isn't he shaken at having relived that night?_

The more Hinata watched the blonde, however, the more she began to understand just how he must have felt. To live with such a dark secret… it must have been eating him up inside for all those years. How could he not give in and tell that story? To let someone else share the pain of that horrible, horrible night?

_Why did he choose to tell me? Why not Iruka… or Kiba… or Shikamaru, even? What did I do to earn his trust?_

With that final thought crossing her mind, Hinata felt a deep pang of guilt in the pit of her heart. Naruto had trusted her with his deepest secret, the one piece of his life that he kept to himself. It was a sign that he did care for her, that somehow her feelings were finally being returned after so many years.

So much trust, and she went ahead and betrayed it almost instantly. She wasn't satisfied just being in Naruto's apartment. No, she had to snoop around, search through his personal belongings, ogle him when he was vulnerable and suffering…

_I don't deserve his trust... I don't deserve to be with him at all._

Thus, it was in a state filled with guilt that Hinata slipped out from beneath Naruto's resting head and made her way towards the door, tears rolling silently down her face. As she slowly sealed the apartment door shut behind her, the Hyuuga took one last glance at her sleeping blonde, his soft snores still audible from the outside.

"I'm sorry, Naruto…"

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Kiba Inuzuka lumbered home in exhaustion following his track practice with sweat running profusely down his face. As usual, Gai had gone a little overboard and insisted that they train for another hour, since they were in the "springtime of their youth." By the time they had finished, the school was already locked up, so the dog-boy resigned himself to walking home in his sweat-soaked clothing.

It did not take the Inuzuka too long to reach the apartment complex, though the walk was excruciating nevertheless. As he made his way up the stairs, Kiba was sure that he would be unable to move the next day, as his legs were already throbbing in pain. When he reached the top of the staircase, however, Kiba momentarily forgot his sore limbs entirely as he saw a familiar, pale figure exiting his apartment.

_Hinata? What's she doing here?_

For a moment, Kiba considered calling out to the Hyuuga, but he soon talked himself out of it. What would he say, anyway? Whenever he tried to sound cool around the girl, he always managed to make himself look like an idiot. That's why he asked for Naruto's help to begin with, so that he could give Kiba the confidence to talk to Hinata himself. Until that time came, though, the Inuzuka felt it was best to just sit back and wait.

Even so, Kiba could not simply ignore Hinata as she stood there outside his apartment door. It would be criminal to waste such a perfect opportunity, so the dog-boy darted around the corner and stealthily poked his head out to get a better look at the girl. Almost instantly, his hopes of admiring the Hyuuga from afar were shattered, for his eyes were instantly drawn to the glistening trails on her cheeks.

_Wait a second… are those… tears?_

Before Kiba even had a chance to think, he found Hinata turning towards him and instantly panicked. _She's going to see me! She'll know I was spying on her? Dammit, what should I do? I can't run away, but I have to do something… Okay, calm down, Kiba. Just act naturally; you were walking home from school, that's all._

After taking a deep breath, the dog-boy stepped out from his hiding place on the corner and turned towards the approaching Hyuuga with a big, forced grin.

"Hey, Hinata! What are you doing here?" Kiba called out, hoping he could cheer the pale girl up somewhat.

Stopping suddenly in surprise, Hinata looked up at the Inuzuka with her teary eyes before speaking. "Oh… h-hi, Kiba. I was… just taking care of Naruto. I have to be getting home now, though…

As Hinata tried to sneak past, Kiba placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to stop her. "Hey, hold on… were you crying just now?"

The Hyuuga hurriedly wiped the tears from her face with her slave as she responded. "What? N-no… I just had something in my eye. I'm fine, really."

"Hinata, you seem upset," Kiba continued in his vain attempt at comforting the girl. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I said I'm fine, Kiba!" Hinata snapped as she slapped the dog-boy's hand from her shoulder. "Just… leave me alone!"

With that, the Hyuuga took off running down the stairs, leaving a shocked Kiba in her wake. For a moment, he considered chasing after the girl, if only to make sure that she didn't do anything reckless in her unstable condition. After taking a few steps, however, the Inuzuka felt a searing pain in his leg, forcing him to rest up against the wall.

_Smooth move, Kiba. If Hinata didn't hate your guts before, she sure does now…_

Once the pain in his leg subsided, Kiba turned and limped towards his apartment. As he suspected, the door was unlocked, and he stumbled in to hear the distinct, soft snoring of his housemate. It did not take him long to locate the blonde, for he was still sprawled out on the couch, oblivious to what was going on around him.

There was something about Naruto's condition that truly bothered the Inuzuka, though he was unable to put a finger on it at first. It was obvious that Hinata had taken good care of him, since his breathing was steady and he no longer was drenched in sweat, but what was it? Why did Kiba feel so troubled at the sight of the sleeping blonde?

That was when it hit him like a sack of bricks: Naruto was practically naked. Sure, he had his boxers on, but other than that he was completely exposed. Normally Kiba would have had no problem with this; the two of them had spent enough Saturday mornings in their underwear for such awkwardness to vanish entirely. It was the thought that Naruto might have been in such an exposed state in front of Hinata that truly bothered him.

_What the hell was he thinking? Didn't I just tell him that Hinata likes him? Why in the world would he think this was a good idea, unless… is Naruto trying to steal Hinata away from me?_

Kiba approached his housemate quietly, hoping not to wake the blonde as he took a closer look. Was Naruto even capable of such a thing? To stab his best friend in the back?

_No, Naruto wouldn't do that. He must have been delirious. Yeah, Naruto's too good of a friend to try and steal Hinata away from me._

Having convinced himself of his friend's innocence, Kiba turned and headed for the bathroom, hoping that a nice shower might wash off his sticky sweat. No sooner had he undressed and turned on the water than the dog-boy felt a sinking feeling in his gut once again. Something didn't add up. If nothing happened between Naruto and Hinata, then why was she crying when she left? Why did she seem so intent on leaving the apartment as far behind as possible?

_Did Naruto say something to upset her? I guess it's possible; he's always been a bit dense; he might have done it without even realizing it. But… Naruto seemed too relaxed for that. If he said something to upset Hinata, he would have chased her down until he made things right. What could it be, though?_

It was certainly troubling, and the more the Inuzuka thought about it, the more concerned he became. While Kiba knew that it ridiculous, he could not help but jump to the most horrible conclusions.

_Maybe Hinata told Naruto that she loves him? Yeah, and Naruto could have turned her down… that would explain why she was crying. But then again, Naruto was fast asleep… What if they had sex? That could explain everything; Hinata's crying, Naruto sleeping in his boxers… No, no, no, no, no! Kiba, this is your best friend, here! He wouldn't do that to you!_

As much as he tried to talk those thoughts out of his head, however, Kiba always returned to his suspicions of Naruto. The signs were all there, and the more the dog-boy thought about it, the more he was able to picture it in his head. Hinata probably revealed her feelings for Naruto… or maybe Naruto confronted her about it? Either way, they both knew how she felt, and Naruto probably made the first move. Putting his hands on his Hinata… his lips on her porcelain flesh… it made Kiba twitch slightly in anger.

_It all makes sense. They must have just gone all the way. That's why Hinata was crying; she was probably overwhelmed by how fast it all went…_

Suddenly, the Inuzuka slammed his fist into the wall and released some of his pent-up rage before taking a deep breath.

_Okay, calm down, Kiba. Don't jump to any conclusions. You don't know what happened. Just… wait and see what they do._

With that, Kiba shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, repeating the thought to himself over and over again like a mantra. By the time he had toweled off and dressed the dog-boy successfully calmed down and was prepared to face his roommate without appearing overly suspicious. As luck would have it, just as Kiba was entering the living room Naruto began to stir on the couch, murmuring something in gibberish has he became adjusted to reality.

"Ugh… what happened?" the blonde asked, rubbing his eyes drowsily as he sat up to look around.

"You were sleeping," Kiba responded in a condescending tone. "Hinata was here taking care of you."

"Really?" Naruto said as he turned toward his friend with half-opened eyes. "I thought that was just a dream…"

"Unless we had the same dream, I doubt it," Kiba replied with a laugh. "You passed out at school, didn't you?"

"I guess I must have," the blonde said, placing a hand on his chin in thought. "I don't really remember all that well. I left Asuma's class early, and the next thing I knew I was here talking with Hinata."

"Dammit, Naruto! I told you not to go to school today! Why do you always have to be so stubborn?"

"You should know, Kiba," Naruto responded with his signature grin. "I never give up, that's my motto."

"Yeah, you've told me that a few times before," the Inuzuka said with a sigh. "Do you remember what you and Hinata talked about by any chance?"

"Umm… no, not really," Naruto said as he scratched his head sheepishly. "I just... uh, we talked… no, I mean, she told me to get some rest. Yeah, that's it! She told me to go back to sleep. Nothing else happened before you got here."

Kiba eyed the blonde skeptically as he tried to sift through the meaning behind his words. _Naruto is never this jittery. He must be hiding something… no, I can't assume that. He could just be a little delirious from his illness. Maybe I'll ask him about it again tomorrow…_

"Alright, I was just curious, that's all," the dog-boy said as he rose off the couch. "Say, want me to make you some ramen? I bet you're starving after sleeping the whole day."

"Sure, I'm always up for some ramen," Naruto exclaimed as he lay back down on the couch.

"Okay, one bowl of ramen, coming up," Kiba said half to himself, looking through the cabinets for just the right flavor of the blonde's beloved noodles.

_Well, if it was the illness that was making him act so strange, it sure isn't affecting his appetite. I swear, for such a simple guy, he can be so damn complicated sometimes. He seems fine now, but when I mentioned Hinata he… well, he panicked, I guess. Why would he do that unless he had something to hide? What the hell happened today?_

With that thought, Kiba listened as the microwave chimed lightly, accompanied by the tantalizing scent of fresh ramen. Thus, the Inuzuka put his analysis on hold and brought the dish in for his friend, who enthusiastically dug in to the noodly-goodness. While the blonde stuffed his face, Kiba simply looked on, smiling slightly in disbelief.

_I won't believe it… there has to be some other explanation._ _Just look at him! Whatever happened today, I'm sure he has his reasons for hiding it. Naruto wouldn't do anything to hurt me…he doesn't have a mean bone in his body. I should just keep my nose out of it. _

It was around this point that Naruto looked up from his meal, a clump of noodles dangling innocently from his mouth as he stared the Inuzuka in the eye. After pausing there for a moment, the blonde sucked up the stringy substance and tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Something wrong, Kiba?" the vulpine boy asked in concern.

"Huh?" Kiba murmured absentmindedly. " Oh, no, nothing's wrong. I was just… lost in thought, I guess."

Naruto looked at the dog-boy quizzically at this response, seemingly suspicious of its dismissive nature, before shrugging his shoulders and returning to his meal. Seeing that he had not raised the blonde's suspicions, Kiba sighed inwardly and rose to his feet. After briefly dismissing himself, the Inuzuka headed for his room, where he was greeted by a characteristically frisky Akamaru. After petting the puppy gently on the head, Kiba stripped to his boxers and slid into his bed, his sore body gratefully welcoming the prospect of sleep.

_I just need to rest. Maybe things will be clear tomorrow…_

Thus, with a relaxed smile and Akamaru curled up at his feet, Kiba drifted off to sleep, where his mind could finally be free from the day's troubling events.

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As Naruto finished eating his steaming bowl of ramen, he could not help but feel relieved that his housemate had decided to check in for the night. Though he had managed to hide his guilt thus far, the blonde was certain that he would have cracked eventually under Kiba's gaze.

He still couldn't believe that he had actually told Hinata about Kyuubi. It wasn't that he regretted it or anything; he still felt much better having told his story. When he looked at Kiba, though, he felt a deep pang of guilt in his chest. How could he tell Hinata, a girl he had barely even spoken to, the secret story of his past without telling his best friend? Or Iruka, for that matter? Even though it felt like the right thing to do, it seemed to Naruto like he was… betraying the people closest to him, the people who had supported him so much, without asking anything in return. They had waited for him to open up, understanding all the while the pain he must have experienced, and Naruto denied them their right to hear his story first.

_What kind of a friend am I? There's no way I could tell Kiba what really went on today… it would crush him. I can't tell him right away though; he might get suspicious. I'll just wait a few days and tell him all about Kyuubi. He deserves to know what happened._

While Naruto sucked down the last remaining noodles, he found that there was an even greater issue pressing in his mind. Why _had_ he told Hinata about Kyuubi? She hadn't really done anything different than Kiba and Iruka did when they first asked about it. Naruto had seen that they were concerned, but it had always been easier to keep that secret to himself than to experience that pain again. As hard as it was to see the two of them worried, it was just too hard to relive that night.

When he looked at Hinata, though, it was almost agonizing to see her in such a troubled state. She must have known what had happened; after all, everyone knew about the Kyuubi murders. That wasn't enough for Hinata, though; she needed to hear Naruto's tale, to understand how he felt that night. It was impossible for Naruto to deny her that simple request. Even though he had been asked by so many people in the past, people that were much closer to him, when he looked into that Hyuuga girl's pale eyes he knew that he couldn't keep that secret to himself any longer. There was something about seeing her in pain that forced Naruto to finally crack, but whatever that thing was remained a mystery to the vulpine boy.

At the moment, Naruto only knew one thing for certain; he had to call Iruka. Now that he had finally told his story, the blonde felt an overwhelming urge to tell it to everyone he had ever been close to, everyone who had ever wondered what actually happened with Kyuubi. Thus, with his bowl now empty, Naruto rose off the couch and placed his dishes in the sink before starting off for his bedroom. Before he actually entered his personal sanctuary, the vulpine boy paused outside of Kiba's room, pressing his ear up against the door to hear for any sounds of life. Once he identified his housemate's steady breathing, he gave a sigh of relief.

_Good, he's asleep… I can't risk him figuring out what happened with Hinata today. It would… it would crush him if he knew._

With his mind at least somewhat at ease, Naruto turned and entered his room, sealing the door shut behind him. Once he had sat down on the edge of his bed, the blonde reached for the phone and dialed the familiar number without giving it a second thought. As he waited for his father to pick up on the other end, though, Naruto felt a momentary surge of panic that grew worse with each passing ring.

_What am I going to say? He's probably been preparing for this moment for years… it needs to be perfect. Why didn't I think this through first!? Wait… what did I say with Hinata? It was so easy then… okay, maybe if I just start talking, it'll just come out on its own._ _Just breathe, Naruto; it's only Dad, nothing to be nervous about._

Suddenly, the vulpine boy heard a distinct click on the other end and, for a brief second, was certain that his heart had stopped. This was it, this was the moment he had been putting off for over ten years, and Naruto felt a strange combination of dread and excitement.

"Hello?"

Upon hearing his father's warm, cheery voice through the phone, Naruto suddenly felt all of his anxiety fade in an instant. He could do this. He could set things right. "Hi Dad. It's me, Naruto."

"Oh, Naruto! I was hoping you'd call," Iruka replied with his usual gentle laugh. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, Dad, things are going fine, it's just…" the blonde started as he wrapped the phone cord around his finger. "Well… it's about Kyuubi."

There was a brief, shocked silence before Iruka made any response. When he finally did speak, though, it was in a somewhat more serious, yet equally comforting tone. "Are you sure, Naruto? You know you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, Dad, it's okay. I'm… ready now," Naruto said reassuringly, though it was only as the words left the blonde's mouth that he truly believed what he was saying.

And so Naruto told the story of Kyuubi for the second time that day, relating the events of that terrible night with all of its gruesome details for his father. During the entire speech Iruka remained completely silent, his presence indicated solely by the faint sound of his breathing into the phone. Naruto found that, once he got going, the story seemed to naturally flow off his tongue, as if his mind had been programmed to say those exact words ever since he witnessed those horrific murders. There was no hesitation, no searching for the right word to express his feelings or any of the other million problems Naruto had worried about. He simply spoke, and his story seemed to form on its own.

It was like his earlier conversation with Hinata was preparation for this moment. Maybe that was why he had decided to tell her first? So that he could have a chance to perfect his story before telling Iruka and Kiba? Whether this was the case or not, it was apparent that his conversation with the Hyuuga had helped in properly expressing those feelings.

Apparently Iruka noticed this as well, for when he actually did speak, he mentioned nothing about the events themselves. It was painful enough for Naruto to tell him about Kyuubi; there was no sense in drawing it out any further. Instead, Iruka simply waited a moment as the story sunk in before finally speaking.

"Why did you decide to tell me this, Naruto?" the man asked, though his voice had taken on a much softer, poignant quality. "What happened to make you change your mind?"

Naruto paused to think over his father's question. He couldn't tell him the truth. For one, he wasn't even all that sure of what the truth was; all he knew was that it had something to do with Hinata. Thus, the blonde decided to simply avoid the question entirely, saying, "I don't really know. I guess it was time to tell someone."

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad you told me, Naruto," Iruka replied with genuine gratitude. "You're sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine," Naruto answered sincerely. "I probably should go now."

"I understand, son; it's probably been an exhausting evening," Iruka said, the warmth returning to his voice. "Remember, you can call me about anything."

"I know, Dad," Naruto responded with mild annoyance as he rolled his eyes. "Talk to you later."

"Bye, Naruto."

With that, Naruto placed the phone back on the receiver and lay back on his bed, staring up blankly at the ceiling. Somewhere within him, the blonde could feel a distinct calm, knowing that he had finally told Iruka the truth about Kyuubi. Of course, this sense of tranquility was surrounded by other troubling questions, like how he was going to tell Kiba and what exactly happened earlier with Hinata. However, for the time being Naruto felt perfectly satisfied just closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, leaving all those problems for another day.

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Oh my, Kiba's suspicious, Naruto's clueless, and Hinata's feeling guilty. What good can possibly come from such scrambled emotions? Find out in the next chapter of The Fox and the Hound! (cue dramatic music) 


	7. Chapter 6

Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took so long... I wanted to make sure that this scene was just right, so it took a bit longer than expected. Anyway, before I get to the chapter, I need to take a second, as usual, to thank my reviewers. There were six of you this time, I felt special... so, all of you get a digital candy bar of your choice: king-sized, naturally.

x.Nanako-chan.x- Glad you're enjoying it! Oh, and of course Kiba is a little bit of a pervert. Naruto must be brushing off on him a bit...

A Forgotten Fairy. .AKA- Fairy- Yeah, Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata are all pretty messed up going into this chapter. You'll just have to read on to see how those emotions play out.

Maki-Zushi- Hey, I'm always happy to hear that someone liked a chapter. Hope this one lives up to your expectations!

freshman007- Thanks for the compliment! I usually seem to struggle with the emotions, so I'm glad to hear that you liked it!

Rose Tiger- Well, I don't want to ruin anything, so I'll just say that you'll have to read and find out for yourself what happens!

Han-Ko - Yeah, Naruto's always a bit slow... but we love him for it, right? Anyway, thanks for the review!

Alright, now on to the chapter!

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Chapter 6

Somewhere within the labyrinthine streets of Konoha, a young boy sat shivering on a curb as the rain poured down on his blonde head. His bare feet had grown numb from the frigid water rushing down to the sewers below, but the boy had long since cared about his comfort. He simply looked dejectedly at the ground, his eyes filled with a profound emptiness and his mind indifferent to the world around him.

Suddenly, he felt the rain stop, though he could still hear it splash on the ground around him. Looking up in surprise, the boy found a bright orange umbrella in the hand of a young, pale girl blocking the sky. For a moment, the blonde was not sure what to do, and just stared at the girl in confusion. The girl seemed to notice this and extended her hand to the boy, smiling shyly as she did so.

"Come, Naruto."

The boy was a little hesitant at first and eyed the offered hand suspiciously. Could he really trust this girl? It took him a moment, but soon the blonde clasped the hand and pulled himself off the ground. With that single action, the boy suddenly felt his eyes brighten as he stared into those of the girl. He was happy, and even though the cold rain continued to pour down around him, the blonde felt safe in that little world beneath the bright, orange umbrella.

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When Naruto awoke the next day, he found that the sun was just beginning to rise outside his window while the rest of the world retained that languid serenity of morning. It was very unusual for the blonde to awake so early, and yet he felt no desire to go back to sleep. He had slept surprisingly well, given the previous day's events, and it probably helped that for once his dreams weren't haunted by Kyuubi. Instead they were… pleasant, but when Naruto tried to recall just what happened in his dream, he found that it was a bit more difficult than he had anticipated.

_Okay, there was rain. Yeah, it was raining, and it was nighttime. Cold too. Dark, wet, and cold. Then that girl showed up. Yeah, she… she had an umbrella. She was going to take me home, keep me dry. Who was that girl though?_

It was this last detail that was giving Naruto the most trouble. For whatever reason, his mind could only remember how things felt in his dream, but the actual face of his savior was fuzzy at best. All the details he could recall were extremely vague, as if the girl could have been just about anyone.

_Let's see, she had hair… yeah, that's helpful. Okay, what kind of hair… it was kind of short. And darker, almost purple. What else, what else… her skin! It was pale… not sickly, just whiter. Come on, Naruto! Think! There has to be something else… her eyes! They were… lavender, I guess? Okay, that should narrow it down a bit. Who fits that description…_

It naturally took Naruto a few minutes to put all of the pieces together. Once the image finally clicked in his head, however, the blonde was struck with a sense of dread.

_Hinata? No, it couldn't be… why would I be dreaming about Hinata unless… no, it must be some mistake. Yeah, maybe it was somebody else. Think, Naruto… Anko! Yeah, she has purple hair, why can't it be her? But why would I be dreaming about Anko… yeah, that wouldn't make sense… Wait, maybe it wasn't a girl at all? Pale skin, dark hair… it could be Sasuke! No, that's just stupid…_

_Calm down, Naruto… Hinata was taking care of you yesterday, so maybe she was just present in your mind. Just because you dreamed about her doesn't mean that there's some sort of deep meaning…_

As much as he tried to convince himself of this, however, Naruto knew that Hinata's presence in his dream _was_ significant. Something had happened the previous day when he told her about Kyuubi. Even if he was delirious, he had chosen to reveal his greatest secret to a girl he barely knew. She had done something to him, though he was not exactly sure just what it was.

It wasn't even that he told her about Kyuubi… it was more that she didn't even force it out of him. He practically volunteered that information, but without feeling any remorse whatsoever. In fact, he actually felt… happy that he told her. He wanted, no, _needed_ her to understand his pain, to know his anguish. What do they call that, when you can't bear to keep any secrets from someone? When it's utter agony for her to be in pain, but ecstasy to see so much as a smile on her face?

_Oh God… am I in… love?_

_No, you can't be in love with her, Naruto! She's Kiba's girl… well, I guess she's not actually his girlfriend or anything… but still! Kiba trusted you to play matchmaker here, you can't just take her for yourself! Dammit, what should I do… maybe I should just talk to her today. Set things straight and hook her up with Kiba. Oh, I can invite her to Ichiraku! Yeah, that would work. I'll tell her to meet us there around six or something. Kiba'll be back from practice by then; I can just get the two started and then slip out. Perfect._

It was right at this point that Naruto heard a familiar banging on his door, followed by a relatively gruff voice calling out, "Naruto! Wake up! You're gonna be late again!"

"I'm up, Kiba! I'm up!" Naruto yelled back as he rolled out of bed.

_Yeah, I can't be in love. I just need to help Kiba out and then I can leave all of this Hinata business behind me._

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Hinata sat in her English class, gazing absently at the open book before her while Kakashi read his hentai novel, as usual. It had been a very awkward class for the Hyuuga up to that point, since she was so close to both Naruto and Kiba. All throughout Kakashi's lecture, Hinata could only wonder what the two boys could possibly think of her.

Did Naruto hate her for leaving? Did he even care? And what about Kiba? She had treated him like he had a disease or something… he didn't deserve that. He was just trying to help, but… she had to get away from Naruto. He had needed her, and she took advantage of that by putting her nose where it didn't belong. Why couldn't she have just been happy to be with the blonde? Why did she feel the need to pry into his business, to snoop around his apartment?

And to make things worse, he had told her about Kyuubi. Yes, she had wanted nothing more than to know about Naruto's past, to understand him and be able to comfort him, but she realized now that she was just being irresponsible. She was not worthy of that sort of trust… she just betrayed it by invading his privacy, his own personal bubble. Yes, she had popped that bubble, even if Naruto hadn't realized it yet. Then, of course, there was that other thing… she hadn't really given it much before, but after learning all about Kyuubi, she realized that she might actually hurt Naruto in the long run.

As much as it might hurt her, Hinata knew that she had to drop this thing with Naruto as soon as possible. But… how could she do that, exactly? She couldn't just tell him that she didn't want to see him… that would be too blunt. Maybe she could avoid him? Yeah, that might work; just stay away from him, and maybe he'd go back to ignoring her. Then again, he was the one who approached her. What if he didn't leave her alone? What if he kept talking to her?

_Oh, what am I thinking? He probably doesn't even like me… at least not that way. He was just delirious when he told me about Kyuubi… Oh, I'm such a fool, to think that he actually… loved me._

While she sat pretending to read her poetry book, however, Hinata still could not shake that thought from her head. Glancing over to the side, the Hyuuga found both Naruto and Kiba doing their homework, an observation that she found to be quite shocking. Normally they were so talkative during Kakashi's class, but today they were fervently solving problems… or at least pretending to. It was hard to tell whether they actually were thinking about the work or something else. Hinata liked to think it was the latter, that somehow her presence was distracting to the blonde.

_No, Hinata! You have to forget about him. You'll only hurt him in the end…_

Thus, the Hyuuga turned her attention back to the book before her… well, tried to. Even though she constantly scolded herself, Hinata found herself stealing peeks at the blonde, trying to figure out just what was going through his head. By the time class had ended, though, she had managed to temporarily force him out of her head, allowing her to peacefully pack her belongings and start for her next class. Before she could reach the door, however, Hinata felt a hand fall gently on her shoulder, bringing her to an abrupt halt.

"Hey, Hinata… can I talk to you for a sec?"

The Hyuuga nearly dropped the books from her hands as she turned to face the familiar blonde, who looked down at her with that warming grin. "Oh… um, hello, Naruto. What is it?"

"Oh… god, how do I put this… are you doing anything after school today?" the blonde asked, a slight blush on his whisker-marked cheeks.

_Is he serious? Wait, what do I do? Should I lie and say I'm busy? But what if he finds out? Okay, maybe I can just accept and see what he wants… _

"Umm… no, actually, why do you ask?" Hinata said rather expectantly.

"Well, you see… I was just wondering if… well, you'd want to go to Ichiraku for dinner?" the blonde started, only to panic slightly at the sight of Hinata's stunned expression. "I mean, I just want to repay you for what you did yesterday.

_Okay, calm down, Hinata. It's not a date. He's just grateful…_

"Oh… w-well I'd love to," Hinata said with a genuine smile. "Umm, what time should I meet you?"

"I dunno, how about six?" Naruto offered hopefully.

"S-six is fine for me."

"Great! I'll see you later, then!" the blonde exclaimed as he took off running for his next class.

Hinata stood there for a moment, watching the vulpine boy disappear among the crowd of students before it finally dawned on her: she had just agreed to meet Naruto outside of class.

_So much for avoiding him… sometimes, Hinata, I swear there must be something wrong with you…_

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At five fifty-seven that evening, Naruto stood just outside Ichiraku Ramen, tapping his toe as he looked anxiously from side to side. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous; he was just going to talk to Hinata for a few minutes until Kiba showed up. He had left a note telling the dog-boy to come over once he got back, and unless Gai worked him to death, he wouldn't be at practice too much longer. In spite of this reassuring knowledge, though, Naruto could not shake the feeling that something was amiss.

It wasn't that he was meeting with Hinata. He had been preparing himself the entire day, repeating to himself that he was there for Kiba. Just get the two together and leave… easy. Nothing complicated. No awkward conversations about the previous day. Just some quick chitchat over a bowl of ramen and then he'd be heading for the door.

Apparently he had gotten a little lost in his thoughts, however, for as soon as he looked up again Naruto found himself face to face with an all-too familiar pale-skinned Hyuuga. Feeling somewhat startled by the girl's sudden appearance, the blonde jumped backwards slightly, his face reddening with building embarrassment.

"H-hi, Hinata," Naruto said slowly after a second as he tried to regain his composure. "Right on time, I see."

"Uh-huh," the Hyuuga responded cheerfully, "Shall we go inside, Naruto?"

"Sure, no sense waiting out here, I guess."

The duo was greeted by a spunky, young waitress upon entering the restaurant, who quickly escorted them to a small booth by the front window. After taking their beverage order, the waitress soon departed for the kitchen, leaving Naruto and the pale Hyuuga alone once again.

For a brief moment, Naruto completely panicked as he suddenly became aware of the situation he was in. Here he was… alone with Hinata… the girl who just the previous day had taken care of him, who he had told the dark secret of Kyuubi. What could he possibly say? He couldn't just ignore what had happened… but at the same time, he didn't want to give off the wrong impression. Yes, there had been a connection, but… this was Kiba's girl. He had trusted Naruto to hook the two of them up, and he… he just couldn't break that promise. He never went back on his word, after all.

_Okay, suck it up, Naruto. You have to say something! Just… give her a compliment!_

"You look beautiful tonight, Hinata," Naruto said abruptly, causing the Hyuuga to turn a deep shade of red.

_Damn! Too strong…_

"Oh, well, uh, thank you, Naruto," Hinata stuttered, placing a hand on her chest in astonishment. "Um, you look very nice yourself…"

_Okay, back off a little bit. Chitchat. This isn't a date._

"So, uh, how are you liking Kakashi's class?" Naruto offered in an attempt to sound casual.

"Well, it's okay, I guess. I just wish he would spend more time actually teaching than reading that book of his."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," the blonde replied with a laugh. "I swear he must be some sort of pervert… bringing that stuff to school."

_Much better, Naruto. Just stick to this simple stuff. Maybe she'll just pretend like yesterday never happened…_

"Naruto… about yesterday," Hinata started, much to the blonde's chagrin.

_So much for that…_

"Yeah, what about it?" Naruto said in a vain attempt to sound innocent.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you…"

Before Hinata could so much as finish her question, however, she was interrupted by the sugary-sweet voice of the waitress as she returned to their little booth. Naruto sighed inwardly in relief, hoping that the Hyuuga might drop the subject after the sudden break in conversation.

"Hi, again. Are you two ready to order?"

"Sure, I'll have the ramen with roast pork," the blonde offered eagerly.

"And I'll have the same as him."

"Alright, two bowls of ramen with roast pork," the waitress repeated as she scribbled down some notes. "It'll be just a few minutes, okay?"

Naruto watched the waitress walk off for a moment, hoping to delay the conversation with Hinata a bit longer. It was not long, however, before she disappeared into the kitchen, forcing the blonde to face the Hyuuga once again.

"Naruto… I-I have to know," Hinata continued, almost as if the interruption had not happened at all. "About yesterday… why did you tell me? You know, about… _him_."

_Damn, she doesn't beat around the bush, does she? Okay, just calm down. Play ignorant. You were delirious, no real reason…_

"Geez, I don't know," the blonde said, scratching his head in an exaggerated manner. "I guess I just felt like it. I don't really remember it all that well."

"Don't lie to me, Naruto!" Hinata snapped before catching herself with a profound blush. "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean that… it's just, I need to know where we stand, Naruto, and if you're hiding something…"

_Hurry up, Kiba…_

"Oh… uh… what're you talking about, Hinata?" Naruto said, glancing out the window anxiously. "I just needed to tell someone, that's all."

"I know, Naruto, I know," Hinata said, her eyes tearing up in desperation. "But _why_ did you need to tell someone? And why me? Why didn't you tell Iruka or Kiba or something?"

Naruto knew he was in a pickle. He couldn't possibly avoid this question for much longer, and Kiba was nowhere to be found. It was six-thirty already, why wasn't he there yet? Something was wrong…

_Oh shit, today was Kiba's track meet! He's all the way in Suna… he probably won't be back 'til nine at the earliest… Dammit all! What am I supposed to do now?_

Naturally, just when the blonde had resigned himself to come clean, he was saved once again by the waitress bearing two steaming bowls of ramen. Naruto eagerly took his bowl and began to shovel down the savory noodles, forcing the Hyuuga start her meal as well.

They ate in silence for quite a while, save for the occasional slurp from Naruto, and yet throughout their dinner the vulpine boy's mind was racing. How could he possibly tell Hinata the truth? That he was in love with her, that he wanted them to know everything about each other? That whenever he saw her he felt the pain of his past just fade away, and if ever she cried that pain came back tenfold?

Then again, she liked him too. That's what Kiba had said, at least… and he wouldn't just lie about something like that. So, why couldn't the two of them just be together? All's fair in love and war, right?

_What are you thinking, Naruto?! No, Kiba's been too good of a friend. Think up a lie or something… anything other than the truth._

Before Naruto knew it, though, his bowl of ramen had been scraped clean, and he still hadn't come up with the perfect lie. Glancing over the rim of his raised bowl, the blonde noticed that Hinata was staring right at him with those big, pale eyes, a look of concern still on her face. He knew that he would have to face her eventually and thus, with a deep breath, he lowered his bowl and locked eyes with the Hyuuga.

"Okay, what were you saying again, Hinata?" Naruto asked, hoping that she might have forgotten during the meal.

"You know what, Naruto," the Hyuuga responded, sounding somewhat hurt by the question. "I want you to tell me _exactly_ why you told me about Kyuubi yesterday."

_Okay, Naruto. Moment of truth…_

"Alright, I'll tell you," the blonde conceded as he rose from his seat. "Lemme just pay the bill real quick and I'll explain it outside."

"No! No more excuses, Naruto!" Hinata said with unusual determination. "I need to know! Just tell me why!"

Naruto looked at the Hyuuga in shock for a moment before sitting back down with a sigh. "Okay, Hinata; here it is. The reason I told you about Kyuubi yesterday is… well… how do I put this? When I was with you yesterday, I suddenly felt like Kyuubi didn't even matter any more. I mean, he did, but at the same time I realized there were more important things in my life. It's like, all my life I had been so focused on that one pain that I never saw any of the good things I had going for me."

"What are you saying, Naruto?" Hinata asked, her eyes fixed on the blonde.

"I don't know, Hinata," Naruto responded in frustration. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that yesterday you… changed me. You made it okay for me to talk about Kyuubi… to come to terms with my past. When you asked me to tell you about Kyuubi, I knew that I couldn't keep it a secret from you. There was just something about you that made me _want_ to tell you, to share that part of my life that I had kept to myself for so many years…"

"Naruto, are you saying…" Hinata started, only to put a hand to her mouth as the truth dawned on her.

_What are you doing?! Shut up, shut up, shut up!_

"Yes, Hinata," the blonde said, tears welling up in his eyes. "I don't know why I never noticed it before, but every moment I spend with you I feel at peace, like all's right with the world! Hinata… I love you!"

Suddenly, the blonde shot up from his chair and rushed over to the other side of the table, staring down at Hinata with an extended hand. The Hyuuga examined at the offering for a moment, her mind unable to keep up with what was going on. Once she had snapped out of her temporary daze, however, Hinata grasped the hand tentatively and was pulled to her feet.

"Naruto, w-what are you…"

"Shh, don't talk," the blonde whispered, that warm smile upon his face, "I want this to be perfect."

Hinata nodded obediently as she gazed into Naruto's deep blue eyes and instantly knew what he wanted. As she saw the vulpine boy lean in, however, the Hyuuga merely closed her eyes, her mind racing in the anticipation of what was to come.

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Kiba stormed home from school that evening in disappointment. The Konoha track team had driven all the way to Suna for their meet, only for it to be cancelled due to severe thunderstorms. He had been looking forward to the meet all day, if only to make all those grueling hours with Gai worthwhile. As things were, however, the Inuzuka was forced to trudge home without a single victory, making the entire trek feel like a march of shame.

When he actually arrived at his apartment, though, Kiba's disappointment was replaced with surprise, as Naruto was nowhere to be found. After walking around the empty apartment, calling out the blonde's name, the dog-boy finally stumbled into the kitchen, where he found a note lying on the table.

"What's this?" Kiba asked aloud as he picked the piece of paper off the table. "'Kiba, meet me at Ichiraku. My treat – Naruto."

_That idiot… didn't I tell him that I had a meet today?_

For a moment Kiba considered rejecting the invitation, just to teach the blonde a lesson about forgetting such things. Just as he tossed the note into the trash, however, the Inuzuka remembered his growling stomach and knew that he couldn't turn down a free meal.

"I wonder if he'd still be there," Kiba murmured as he glanced at the nearby clock. "Hmm, it's only a quarter to seven. If I hurry I might catch him."

Thus, in one fluid motion the dog-boy threw on his jacket and rushed out the front door, letting it slam shut behind him. As he made his way down the stairs of the apartment complex, Kiba felt a few drops of rain, very likely the remnants of the storm in Suna. By the time he had crossed the street to Ichiraku, it was practically pouring, forcing Kiba to put his hood up.

It was then that he saw it, just as he ran by the front of the restaurant. There, in the window, were Naruto and Hinata, locked in an intimate embrace.

Kiba stopped in his tracks, the rain pouring down on his head as he looked on in disbelief. Were they… kissing?

_It must be some mistake… Hinata must've forced herself on him. Yeah, any minute now Naruto will push her away… any minute now…_

Of course, Kiba knew that this was a lie. The moment he saw the two of them in the window, he knew without a doubt that he had been right. Naruto _was_ stealing Hinata from him. It had probably been his plan all along… pretend to help his buddy out, and then make his move.

_Naruto… you _bastard_… how could you…_

Kiba felt a bit of blood run down his palms as he clenched his fists, his teeth clenched as he restrained himself. He couldn't do anything now… not without making a scene. As painful as it was to watch the two of them slobbering over one another… Kiba would have to act later. Thus, with a mixture of tears and rain running down his face, the dog-boy headed back to his apartment with one thing on his mind: revenge.

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Oh no! What does Kiba have planned for Naruto, and how will Hinata handle all of these sudden changes? Find out in the next installment of The Fox and the Hound and remember... review! 


	8. Chapter 7

Hey guys! Bit of a shorter chapter this time. It's mostly a setup for the next couple of chapters, but I hope you enjoy it just the same. The way things are going right now, I'm thinking that this story will have 10 chapters and an epilogue, so we're almost there! Oh, and I have reviewers to thank again! You all get digital donuts, so enjoy!

UchihaKyoko- I know what you mean. It breaks my heart doing this to Kiba, too... but I hope you're still enjoying it!

Rose Tiger- Yes, the tension is certainly building. I hope this chapter answers some of your questions.

freshman007- I can't thank you enough for pointing out my lack of scene changes. I guess it translate from word as nicely as I had hoped. So, yeah, you're a life saver!

Maki-Zushi- Glad you enjoyed it!

Now on with the chapter!

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Chapter 7

As Naruto pulled back out of his kiss with Hinata, he felt oddly at ease. Sure, his heart was throbbing from the awkward excitement of his first kiss, but his mind wasn't racing anymore. All of his doubts, his concerns, and those guilty reminders of Kiba had vanished as soon as his lips met those of his beloved Hyuuga.

It had been everything he had imagined, that kiss. To be honest, he had only really thought about it a few seconds before the actual event, but even so… it had been special. It wasn't perfect by any means, of course. Naruto hadn't exactly prepared for it or anything, so he wasn't sure just what he was supposed to do. Was there some sort of etiquette? What was he supposed to do with his hands? Maybe there was, like, a code or something that girls picked up on…

Naruto could sense, though, that Hinata didn't really care if it was perfect. He had been afraid that she would push him away or something, but instead she had pulled him closer, encouraged him in their very public display of affection. That's probably what made the moment so special for Naruto; not that it was his first kiss, not that it was with the girl he loved, but the fact that Hinata had wanted it. That she wasn't just following along nervously, as she was prone to do, but actually kissed him back, as if she had been waiting her entire life for their lips to finally meet.

Now that he had shared that moment with Hinata, Naruto could not help but wonder how he had managed to go so long without having her in his life. That was the blonde's predominating thought as he stood there in the middle of Ichiraku, staring down at the wide-eyed Hyuuga in admiration. Why hadn't he noticed her before? She had always been there, always trying to talk to him, to get him to notice her… and he just ignored her. Well, not ignored… he was always friendly to her… but he never acknowledged her feelings for her. All that time he could have been with the greatest girl in the world, and he was too busy chasing after Sakura…

He stood there like that for a moment, locking eyes with Hinata as other customers tried to skirt around him. There was no need to say anything, as they could easily tell what was going through the other's mind. Thus, instead of diminishing the power of that precious moment, Naruto simply smiled his warm smile and nodded his head towards the door.

"Well, shall we get going then?"

"Oh, s-sure, Naruto," Hinata replied as she let her hands fall from the blonde's side.

After leaving a few bills on the table, Naruto threw his arm over the Hyuuga's shoulder and together they exited the restaurant into the pouring rain. Before they could get wet, however, they quickly backed up under the building's large awning, and stared out into the storm.

"You didn't happen to bring an umbrella, did you?" Naruto asked sheepishly, looking to the pale girl beside him.

"Oh, shoot! I knew I forgot something!" Hinata said in a pouting voice. "I meant to bring your umbrella back today…"

"Well, no matter," Naruto interrupted cheerfully, "We'll just have to run to my apartment. If we hurry we should be fine."

"T-that's what you said last time…" the Hyuuga replied in a worried tone.

The blonde flinched slightly at the memory of their eventful walk home from school. "Yeah… but this time I mean it, okay?"

Hinata hesitated a second, staring up into the blonde's bright, sincere eyes before giving a slight nod. "Alright, if you say so, Naruto…"

"Great! Then let's go!"

With that, the vulpine boy grabbed Hinata by the wrist and rushed out into the rain, dragging the baffled Hyuuga behind him. Together they rushed through the empty city streets, the rainwater sloshing at their feet as they went. Before long, the couple had arrived outside the familiar apartment, Naruto with his key in hand. Much to the blonde's surprise, however, the door was already unlocked, causing him to open the door rather tentatively.

"Kiba? You here?" Naruto asked as he stepped inside the apartment.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Naruto barely had time to even notice the body moving before it pounced, sending both of the tumbling out onto the hard cement. Having bumped his head on landing, it took the blonde a moment to snap out of his daze and recognize his attacker.

"Kiba? What the hell's wr-"

"Shut up! Just shut your fucking mouth, alright?!" the dog-boy exclaimed, grabbing Naruto by the collar and pulling him up to his face. "Just who the hell do you think you are, Naruto? Huh? TELL ME!"

Naruto stared at the Inuzuka in utter confusion, the rain pouring on his face. "Kiba, I-I don't know what you're talking about…"

"That's a fucking lie!" Kiba shouted as he punched the blonde in the face, causing a stream of blood to run from the corner of his mouth. "You know goddamn well what I'm talking about, Naruto! You knew I was crazy about her! Why'd you…"

As the blood trickled down his chin, Naruto stared at his assailant in shock as bitter tears formed in the dog-boy's eyes. "You mean… at Ichiraku… you were there?"

"Yeah, that's right, I saw the whole damn thing," Kiba muttered with a menacing glare. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? That I was too stupid to realize what was going on? Is that what you think of me, Naruto?"

"Kiba, I swear…"

"I said shut the hell up!" the Inuzuka shouted, pushing the blonde back onto the concrete as he rose to his feet. "After all those years I stood by you, Naruto, I asked you for just one thing. Just _one_: set me up with the girl of my dreams. That was all, and you went and stole her from me! Well, I see where I stand now. I hope you're happy, you fucking traitor…"

With that, Kiba gave the blonde a final kick in side before storming off in the opposite direction, unfazed by the pouring rain. By the time Naruto had recovered from this parting blow, the dog-boy was long gone, leaving only him and a terrified Hinata in the middle of the complex.

"Kiba…" the Hyuuga murmured as she stared off into the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the enraged Inuzuka.

"Forget about him, Hinata," Naruto said as he rose to his feet, wiping some of the blood from his face. "Let's just go inside."

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto," Hinata replied, shaking her head vigorously. "I can't stay. I-I… I'm supposed to meet with Neji…"

With that, the pale Hyuuga took off running, pushing Naruto slightly to the side as she went past. The blonde was so perplexed by all that had happened that he never even thought to chase after her; instead, he simply stood there in the storm, his former bliss now shattered in pieces around him.

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_Hinata, you're such an idiot!_

As she made her way through the rainy Konoha streets, Hinata Hyuuga repeated this over and over in her mind, until she soon found herself practically shouting it out at the people she passed. Not that she cared; in fact, she almost wanted them to be angry with her, to hate her almost as much as she hated herself. What had she been thinking, letting Naruto kiss her like that? She should've just run away… just pretend like she wanted nothing to do with him.

But no, she had to give in to that stupid heart of hers… if she had just stopped to think, she would've remembered that she was only going to hurt Naruto. That she couldn't possibly be with him, that she was selfish even _wanting _to be with him. As usual, though, when she looked into Naruto's eyes, all of Hinata's logic went out the window, replaced only by that desire to be with the blonde.

And what good had come of that? None! All she did was destroy one of Naruto's greatest friendships. He sacrificed that for her… and it was only a matter of time before he lost her as well.

_I can't do this to him anymore. It's… it's not fair! I have to end this before it gets any worse…_

It did not take Hinata long to arrive at the Hyuuga estate. The guards quickly opened the gates for the shivering girl as she ran past, heading straight for the mansion. Even when Hinata finally entered the building and was greeted by her cousin, Neji, she did not so much as glance at him, but instead sprinted up the stairs to her lavish room.

In spite of her cold, soaked clothing, Hinata bypassed a warm shower and marched across the room to her bookshelf. There she found her diary and yearbook, which she proceeded to open side-by-side on the bedspread with a somewhat frightening determination.

_Don't think about it, Hinata! Just do it!_

Without a moment's hesitation, the pale Hyuuga began to claw at the books, tearing out clumps of pages at a time in rapid succession. As threw each tattered page over her shoulder, Hinata continued to stare blankly at those still intact, tears streaming down her face.

_I have to get rid of him. No evidence. Naruto never existed. You never loved him. He never loved you. He's not even a memory…_

The job was complete far sooner than Hinata had expected. In a matter of minutes, all that lay before her were two empty covers, and strewn about her were the remains of what had been love poems, musings, pictures, dreams… all of her years of devotion to that blonde. With this work behind her, the Hyuuga proceeded to walk around the room, picking up the tiny scraps of paper and tossing them into a bag. She didn't bother to look at any of them… they were meaningless to her now. If she was going to live with herself, she had to kill off any lingering feelings she might have for… him.

Once the ground was cleared of all the litter, however, and had been placed into the trash, Hinata collapsed onto the bed in her sopping-wet clothes, fighting to hold back the tears. This struggle was brief, though, and soon she found herself crying softly as the storm raged outside.

_Why? Why does it have to be so hard? Why can't I just forget you… Naruto…_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Shikamaru Nara sat in the living room of his small apartment, gazing idly at the blank television set before him. On the floor a few feet away sat the remote control, but Shikamaru was in no mood to move. For a second he tried to grab it with his foot, only to find that it would require a bit too much stretching to reach. Thus, rather than fight the battle against the stubborn remote any longer, the lazy genius lay back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

As soon as the Nara became comfortable in his little bed of cushions and throw pillows, however, there was a sudden knock at the door, momentarily interrupting his relaxation. Shikamaru decided to ignore the visitor, choosing to cup his hands over his ears rather than actually get off the couch. Even when the knocking persisted, the lazy genius remained rooted to his cushioned paradise, and only stirred when a voice accompanied the incessant pounding.

"Shikamaru! I know you're in there! Just open the door you lazy bastard!"

_Kiba? What's he doing here?_

With an annoyed sigh, Shikamaru groggily rose off the couch and threw open the apartment door to find a rain soaked Kiba standing with an unusually serious look on his face.

"Hey," the dog-boy said in a sober tone, "Mind if I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," Shikamaru replied, stepping to the side as the Inuzuka came in out of the rain. Once he had shut the door tight, however, the Nara was quick to confront his friend. "So, you and Naruto have a fight?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Kiba said with a weak laugh. "I was hoping I could, you know… stay here for a couple of days. Is that okay?"

_Troublesome…_

"Yeah, you can sleep on the couch or something, I guess," Shikamaru sighed, "You'd better take a shower first, though. If I get sick because you forgot an umbrella, I might have to kill you."

Kiba glanced down at his sopping wet clothes for a moment before realizing that something was missing. "Sorry, Shikamaru, but I kinda left in a hurry, do you think I could…"

"Don't worry, I'll lay out some dry clothes for you," the lazy genius interrupted, "You just go warm up, alright?"

The Inuzuka gave a quick nod before heading towards the bathroom, leaving Shikamaru standing in the entryway with a slight headache. What had he gotten himself into now? Sure, he was happy to help his friend out, but he could tell already that this was far more serious than Kiba was letting on. Never had Shikamaru seen the dog-boy this visibly shaken. No, it was more than just shaken… he seemed lost, confused, but most of all hurt. Hell, he hadn't even brought Akamaru, and those two were never separated. What could Naruto have done to make Kiba react so drastically?

Of course, if he could just talk to Kiba about it, Shikamaru was sure that he would figure it out in no time. He knew that doing so was out of the question, though. Kiba was clearly not stable at the moment. He came to Shikamaru's to think things over for himself, not to have the situation thrust upon him again. Maybe he could talk to Naruto about it… no, that wouldn't work either. As much as the Nara hated to admit it, he knew it was best to just wait until Kiba was ready to open up about this fight.

Hearing the shower running from inside the bathroom, Shikamaru decided to temporarily push this problem to the side and make Kiba's comfort his top priority. Thus, the lazy genius found himself walking to his room, where he quickly got out a set of clothes for his guest.

_Let's see… t-shirt, boxers, sweatpants… that should be good enough for now, I guess_.

Balancing the selected items on one hand, Shikamaru made his way back to the bathroom, where he placed the clothes just outside the door. With this simple (but troublesome) deed done, the Nara soon returned to his room, where he plopped back down on his messy bed.

_Kiba'll be fine… I just need to get to sleep now, before this whole Naruto business drives me crazy…_

Of course, it did not take very long for Shikamaru to clear his head, and soon he had fallen into a deep sleep, putting off the fight between Kiba and Naruto for another day.

* * *

Yay, we finally got to see Shikamaru again! I love that guy, I really do. Anyway, this entire love triangle has become utter chaos. What's going to happen? Find out in chapter 8 of The Fox and the Hound! 


	9. Chapter 8

Hey guys. I know... this chapter's really late. I was a little tied up with exams and everything, but I hope this chapter will be worth the wait! Oh, and before we get into the chapter, I have a few reviewers to thank. You guys get digital mousse, so enjoy!

freshman007- I'm not so sure I'd call the last chapter the climax of the story. Obviously I can't say too much more, but I think you'll be able to figure it out. It's definitely a key moment, though, so I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Maki-Zushi- Indeed, Shikamaru rocks. You'll get another taste of him this chapter, so I hope you like that. Oh, but you weren't feeling much love for Kiba? Then again, he did go a little overboard last chapter.

Rose Tiger- All I can say is that I promise this story will end happily. Anything else and I might give something away.

Now, on to the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 8

Naruto Uzumaki sat in Kakashi's English class the next day, his mind still focused on the previous night's events. Even though he had felt relieved telling Hinata the truth, that he was in madly in love with her, he could not shake the sinking feeling inside. Had he done the right thing? Maybe Kiba was right… maybe he was a traitor…

_Get a hold of yourself, Naruto! Kiba had his chance… it's not your fault that he could never get up the courage to talk to her!_

Naruto still wasn't convinced, though. As he rubbed his slightly swollen cheek, he thought back to that moment when Kiba confronted him, the way the dog-boy's eyes were filled with such a strange combination of sadness and rage. It wasn't fair for Kiba to suffer like that, to feel like everything was slipping through his hands. Naruto knew that feeling, what it was like to have the people you cared about taken away in one full swoop. But to think that your best friend turned on you… Naruto didn't want to know that kind of pain…

He had to talk to Kiba, but of course the Inuzuka was nowhere to be found. To his right, Naruto found only an empty desk… well, that, and another one occupied by a rather morose Hyuuga. What was her problem, anyway? Why did it feel like his whole life was falling apart all of a sudden?

_I guess I have two people I need to talk to…_

Hinata might as well have been gone too, though, given the amount of attention she was paying to the world around her. All throughout Kakashi's lecture she had just sat there, staring down at her open textbook, not even reading what was on the page. It was like all the joy she usually had for this class had been sucked out of her through a straw, leaving only an empty shell behind.

Why was she moping, anyway? Didn't she like Naruto? She should've been thrilled! The only reason Naruto could think of was that, after hearing Kiba's little rant the night before, Hinata caught on to the deal the two housemates had worked out. That would make sense; after all, if she thought that the boy of her dreams was only talking to her to play cupid… well, knowing Hinata, she'd be devastated.

_Well, since she's here, I guess I should talk to Hinata first… what should I say, though? I mean, I can't just pretend that it didn't happen because… well, it's the truth, right? But, how can I get her to understand that she's more important than that?_

"Naruto, can I talk to you?"

The blonde looked up in surprise to find Hinata standing before him, her big, sad eyes staring into his very soul. Apparently he had zoned out during the last fifteen minutes of class, because all around them the room was completely empty, save for the vacant chairs.

_Dammit, I'm not ready! Why'd you have to choose today to actually talk to me?_

"S-sure, Hinata, what is it?" Naruto asked with feigned ignorance.

"Not now," the Hyuuga responded, glancing awkwardly to the side. "I mean… can you meet me after school? I… have something to tell you."

"Oh, okay," the vulpine boy replied in surprise. "I'll meet you out front, then."

"Thank you, Naruto," Hinata said with a slight bow of her head before rushing out the door, clutching her books in her hands.

As he watched the Hyuuga girl disappear down the school corridors, Naruto felt a bizarre combination of dread and relief. On the one hand, he had a little bit more time to think about what exactly he was going to say. But, then again, there was something… wrong in the way Hinata approached him. It wasn't the fact that she had actually talked to Naruto; in fact, under normal circumstances that would have been a good sign. There was something in Hinata's eyes, though… a profound sadness that the blonde found to be quite troubling.

_What could she want to talk to me about? It can't just be about Kiba… I mean, I expected her to be upset about that, but this is different. Did something happen to her? Maybe she wasn't ready for that kiss yesterday… did I act too soon? Man… what the hell am I going to do now?_

Thus, it was with this hopeless mindset that Naruto finally left Kakashi's vacant classroom, completely unaware of the spy hiding just behind the door.

* * *

When Shikamaru left school later that day, his mind was swimming with thoughts as he tried to figure out what exactly happened between Naruto and Kiba. Throughout the day, the lazy genius had studied Naruto extensively, hoping that he might gain some insight on the problem. Much to his dismay, though, Shikamaru was able to glean very little information from his observations, given Naruto's unusually somber demeanor throughout the day.

The day was not a complete failure for the Nara, however, for the genius was able to use what data he had gathered to draw some conclusions about the situation. Since Naruto was acting so quiet and pensive, it was clear that whatever he and Kiba fought about was bothering him. Knowing how the blonde usually acted at times like these, Shikamaru could only assume that he felt guilty about what happened, or else he would have been ranting all day about how Kiba was a stubborn asshole. Yes, Naruto had been too quiet for this to be some stupid little fight. He had done something, probably without even realizing it.

_But what could he have done? What could have made Kiba this upset?_

Shikamaru decided to stop on a bench by the side of the road to think things through, closing his eyes in concentration. It was a very difficult question to answer, since the Nara had never known Naruto to hurt another person so deeply. Sure, he was known to say something unintentionally offensive, but that was always just a minor thing. This was different… there was something else going on between those two that Shikamaru didn't know about.

_The only way this could make sense is if Naruto… "betrayed" Kiba somehow. He probably didn't mean to, but Kiba must've confronted Naruto about it. That's why Naruto's moping today… because he's trying to figure out if what he did was right… but what could he have done?_

_Well, let's think about this, Shikamaru. The only way you can betray someone is if you shift your alliance away from them. Kiba doesn't really have any enemies, so Naruto must have promised to do something for him and then went back on his word… That would make sense… so I just have to figure out what Naruto promised to do…_

Suddenly Shikamaru's eyes snapped open in realization: Hinata. It all added up: Naruto was helping Kiba and Hinata get together a few days ago. He must have been trying to do his friend a favor, and ended up falling in love himself. That's why Shikamaru saw the two of them talking after Kakashi's class… it seemed so obvious, why didn't he see it before?

_Naruto had good intentions, but his big heart got in the way… I have to talk to Kiba. Maybe I can still save their friendship if I act now!_

Shikamaru found himself running faster than he ever had in his life, weaving between his fellow pedestrians as he raced towards his apartment. He wasn't sure why exactly he felt the need to run; it wasn't like the minute he'd save would make that big of a difference. At the same time, though, the genius knew that if he let his laziness get in the way of preventing a catastrophe he would never forgive himself. Thus, it only took Shikamaru a few minutes to reach his apartment, where he practically broke down the door as he burst in, sweat pouring down his face in a dramatic fashion.

"Kiba! Where the hell are you?" the Nara exclaimed in between his panting breaths.

"Calm down, I'm right here," Kiba responded as he sat up on the couch, eyeing Shikamaru suspiciously. "What's the matter with you all of a sudden."

Shikamaru paused for a moment to regain his composure, realizing that his overreacting might scare the Inuzuka away. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure I caught you before you ran off somewhere."

"Okay, I guess," Kiba said in reply, though he still sounded rather skeptical. "Did you need me for something?"

"Yeah, you could say that," the said, scratching his head as he tried to come up with a plan of attack. _Better just come out and say it…_ "I need you to tell me what happened with Naruto."

"Oh," Kiba said simply before laying back down on the couch. "I'd rather not talk about it…"

"No, Kiba, you don't understand. I _need_ to know… you can't just expect to keep me in the dark like this –"

"And why can't I?" the Inuzuka barked back. "It's my business, why can't you just wait 'til I'm ready?"

_Dammit, this isn't going well at all… time to bring out the big guns._

"I know about Hinata," Shikamaru stated abruptly, bringing his friend to an awed hush. "She is what this whole thing's about, isn't she?"

Kiba sat there for a moment, not saying anything, not even looking the Nara in the eye, but at the same time saying everything in his silence. His feelings of betrayal, his unrequited love for Hinata, and his all around suffering; they were all present in that powerful quiet. "I should've known you'd find out… did he tell you?"

"No," Shikamaru responded as he took a seat beside the Inuzuka on the couch, "Naruto didn't say much of anything today, actually. I think he's taking it pretty hard himself."

"Good! He should feel bad for being a fucking traitor," Kiba spat with contempt. "He'd better get used to it too, 'cause he's gonna have a whole eternity of it in hell…"

"Come on, Kiba, you don't really mean that…"

"You know what, I do, Shikamaru! You don't know how it feels to be stabbed in the back like that, alright? So why don't you just shut your goddamn mouth before I –"

"Would you just shut up and listen!?" Shikamaru shouted, his voice straining to drown out Kiba's own ramblings. "Look, I know how you must feel, but I need to hear what exactly happened. I have an idea, but I can't be sure until I hear the whole story."

Kiba did not respond immediately. It was clear to Shikamaru just how painful it was for the dog-boy to even think about this whole ordeal, and it was only with the beginnings of tears in his eyes that Kiba finally spoke. "Fine, you wanna know what happened? I'll tell you: after that first day of school, I went home and asked Naruto for a favor. I wanted him –"

"To help you get together with Hinata, right?" Shikamaru interjected, testing to see just how close his theory was to the truth.

"Not even that, I just wanted her to notice me, you know?" Kiba murmured as he brushed away a tear. "I knew he would say yes, I mean, why wouldn't he? So I thought everything was going great. Then… then I saw Hinata leaving our apartment one day. She was taking care of Naruto or something, so I didn't think anything of it. But then yesterday…"

"What is it? What happened yesterday?" Shikamaru asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer.

"Well, yesterday… I came back from my track meet, and there's a note on the table. Naruto wanted to meet me at Ichiraku, you know how he is… so I go there, and… and…" Kiba started, though the bitter tears were now flowing quite freely down his face. "there he is, kissing her. _Kissing!_"

"Kiba… I'm sure –"

"Don't you dare try to defend him, Shikamaru!" Kiba said with a snarl. "He left a note for me! A fucking _note_! He was proud of it! He wanted to rub it in my face… he didn't care about how I felt…"

_It's worse than I thought…_

"Kiba… I'm sorry you had to go through all that," Shikamaru said after a moment, placing his hand consolingly on the dog-boy's shoulder. "But you know as well as I do that Naruto wouldn't do something like that."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Kiba exclaimed, the hurt palpable in his voice. "I saw the note, Shikamaru! I saw them kissing there, mocking me…"

"I believe you, Kiba," Shikamaru said with a sigh. "But try and think about this, okay? Has Naruto ever tried to hurt you in the past? Can you even think of _one_ time?"

Kiba averted his eyes to the ground as he struggled to come up with a response. "Well, there was that fight in grade school…"

"Exactly, Naruto would never hurt you on purpose. Ever. That's just the kind of guy he is," Shikamaru said triumphantly. "Look, I think you have every right to feel betrayed, but you have to consider Naruto's side, alright?"

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked as he tried to control his rampant emotions. "Are you saying Naruto didn't mean to fall in love?"

"Exactly," the Nara replied with a sigh of relief. _Now we're getting somewhere_. "Look, I'm sure you know as well as I do that Naruto isn't the type of guy to make some elaborate scheme like that. I'm sure that when he agreed to help you out, he had no intention of stealing Hinata from you. It probably just… happened, that's all."

"But he knew how I felt about her, Shikamaru!" Kiba countered in frustration. "I him all about that, do you really think he forgot about that?"

"Actually, yeah, I do," Shikamaru stated flatly. "Love makes you do things you normally wouldn't dream of doing, you know? It was probably tearing Naruto up inside, knowing that he was in love with your girl."

"So, what, you're saying that Hinata's more important to him than me?" the dog-boy asked defensively.

"Let me put it this way, Kiba," the lazy genius continued, smacking his hand against his forehead in irritation. "If you were in Naruto's position, what would you have done? I mean, it's an impossible decision to make… I sure as hell don't know what I'd do. Naruto must've just followed his heart, and… well, I can't really blame him for that, can you?"

Kiba was silent as he tried to take in the meaning of Shikamaru's words. For a moment, the Nara was certain that he had gotten through to his friend, but soon Kiba leapt to his feet and started for the door. "Dammit, Shikamaru! Just… stay out of it, okay?"

For a moment, Shikamaru considered chasing after the Inuzuka. He had even ran out the door in his bare feet, only to find that Kiba already had a respectable lead.

_That damn track team… guess Gai's training paid off after all._

Thus, in spite of his overwhelming concern, the Nara retreated into the comforts of his apartment, where he soon found himself staring up at the ceiling as he laid back on the couch. He had clearly struck a nerve in the dog-boy, but Shikamaru still insisted on going over the conversation several times in his head, searching for any mistakes he might have made. Once he was certain that he had done everything in his power to save the roommates' friendship, the genius decided that all he could do was hope.

_Kiba better not do anything reckless… I swear, sometimes he can be so troublesome… _

About an hour after school let out, Hinata found herself walking rather awkwardly alongside Naruto Uzumaki as they weaved their way through the town. They had met outside of the school, as they had planned, but aside from a simple exchange of greetings neither one of them had said a word for the past hour. Instead, they both seemed to wander through the city with no real destination in mind, trying to avoid eye contact with the other, lest they be forced to speak.

Hinata was, in a way, relieved that she could delay their little chat, even if it was only temporarily. She had been thinking ever since she woke up that morning, trying to come up with the perfect way to break things off with Naruto. It was inevitable at this point; even if it killed her, she would have to make it clear that the two of them could not be together any longer. Too many people had been hurt already… it would be irresponsible for them to continue knowing that.

_But… what should I say? He must know that something's up… why else would he be so quiet? Should I just come out and tell him? Maybe I should take him to the park or something… somewhere we can have some privacy…_

When Hinata glanced over at the blonde, however, she suddenly knew that she couldn't keep him waiting any longer. Seeing his deep, blue eyes gazing dejectedly at the pavement, that cold, somber look on his face… he was suffering enough as it was.

_No more excuses, Hinata! Tell him!_

With that thought, the Hyuuga came to an abrupt halt, causing the blonde to stop just a few paces ahead, though his eyes remained fixed on the ground. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but I… I can't be with you any more…"

For a moment, it seemed like Naruto had not heard her words, for he remained completely motionless, not even making a sound as people walked around him. Then, in an instant, the blonde flinched ever so slightly, like he had been stabbed in the heart; a pain so unbearable, and yet so quick that he could barely even acknowledge it.

"I see," Naruto whispered, his words somehow audible over the bustling crowd around them. "It's because of last night, isn't it? You know, with Kiba…"

"Kiba? You mean your fight?" Hinata asked, taken slightly aback by the sudden question. "What does that have to do with any of this?"

"Come on, don't play dumb," Naruto said, turning his head towards the girl as he spoke. "I'm sure you figured it out… the deal we made…"

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?" the blonde asked, his eyes finally meeting the Hyuuga's in a moment of hopeful confusion. "Then… I don't understand, why can't we be together?"

"Because, Naruto, it… it'll only end in misery for both of us, okay?" Hinata finally said, averting her gaze from the blonde, knowing the heartbreak that must be showing in his face.

"No, wait, Hinata! I promise, I'll do whatever it takes… just give me another chance! I'll –"

"It's not you, Naruto!" the Hyuuga interrupted, her voice growing weaker with every word. "Please, you have to understand… it's just easier if we end this now, before I hurt you any more…"

"Any more? What are you talking about, Hinata? I've never been happier in my life!" Naruto exclaimed in bewilderment.

"That's just it, Naruto... I don't want to give you these false hopes," Hinata murmured, tears forming in her eyes. "Even if we did stay together… it would only be temporary. You see, once I finish high school, I'll have to learn to take over the family business…"

"Then I'll go with you! I'll –"

"Let me finish," Hinata said, cutting off the blonde mid-sentence. "It's my duty as the heir to the Hyuuga legacy to become a successful businesswoman… and even if I did have time to marry and start a family… well…"

"What? I don't understand," Naruto started, trying to figure out just where the Hyuuga was heading in her speech.

"The thing is, Naruto… I'd have to marry someone of my social class… you know, for appearances," Hinata murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper. "So, you see… if I stay with you… you'll only end up getting hurt."

They stood like that for a moment in silence, while the rest of the world seemed to rush by around them. Hinata was certain that she had broken the blonde's heart, just as she had feared. It had been cruel for her to lead him on like this… knowing that it was just a silly little dream…

"Is that what you want, though?"

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, and as Hinata snapped out of her reverie, it took her a moment to realize just who had said it. "What I want?"

"You know, the whole business thing… is it what you want?" Naruto asked again, gazing at the Hyuuga with concern.

Hinata was not quite sure what to say. She had never actually thought about what she wanted in life… for her, there had never really been an option. It was just a simple process of working her way through school and then working as the head of the Hyuuga Corporation for thirty years before retiring. With that simple question, though, Hinata's entire view of the world seemed to be turned on its head, leaving her in a momentary daze.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Naruto began, apparently oblivious to the Hyuuga girl's loss for words, "But I'm just having trouble picturing you in a big board meeting. I mean, you're always in a corner somewhere reading poetry, are you sure that you want to be talking business with a bunch of bigwigs?"

_What's he saying? I don't have a choice! It's my duty as the heir to the Hyuuga name…_

"You don't understand, Naruto… I-I don't have a choice in the matter. It's my responsibility –"

"Of course you have a choice!" Naruto exclaimed, catching the stuttering Hyuuga completely off guard. "You never agreed to take over the Hyuuga business or whatever it is, did you?"

"Well… no, I guess –"

"Then why are you doing it if you don't want to?!" Naruto continued, his frustration mounting in the heat of the moment.

"Naruto, you don't understand!" Hinata stammered, feeling overwhelmed with her conflicting emotions. "I have to take over the family business… it's my father's dream…"

"If your dad really cares about you, he'll be happy no matter what you do! That's what Iruka always tells me!" Naruto said, his booming voice drawing the attention of several passersby. Seeing Hinata crumble slightly under the pressure, however, the blonde backed off and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder with a sigh. "Look, Hinata… I'm not trying to change your mind or anything. If you want to take over your dad's business, then I'm not going to stop you. I just want to do what makes you happy, okay?"

Hinata did not respond for a moment, but instead stared down at Naruto's feet as she tried to process everything that he had said. The vulpine boy seemed to recognize this, and released the girl's shoulder as he turned to walk away. After going but a few steps, however, he was forced to come to a halt as the Hyuuga called out in an almost desperate voice.

"Naruto! Wait!"

The blonde did not even turn around as he responded, his voice seemingly devoid of all emotion. "Yeah? What is it?"

_Is he right? Should I just forget about the Hyuuga business?_

"Well… I guess I'm not really cut out for business," Hinata said, looking at awkwardly at her hands as she spoke. "So… umm, I mean… if you'll forgive m–"

Hinata's words were quickly cut off as Naruto sealed her lips with a sudden, yet welcomed, kiss. At first the Hyuuga was too shocked to actually react to this burst of affection, but she was soon able to overcome this and lean into Naruto's embrace, enjoying every sensation that passed through her. The feel of the blonde's moist lips traveling across her mouth, the comforting pressure of his hands around her waist… it was almost too much for her to handle at that moment. Even as the tears began to flow down her cheeks, however, Hinata continued to kiss her Naruto passionately, desperate to make it clear that he was the most important thing in the world to her.

_I was ready… I was going to give him up, but… I should have known he'd win in the end…_

As the couple slowly backed out of their kiss, their eyes locked in a sort of profound understanding, Hinata's mind was suddenly cleared of all doubt. No longer was she concerned about her future, about breaking Naruto's heart; for the first time in her life, it seemed, Hinata was certain about what she wanted. Even if her father despised her, even if she was forced to live a life of poverty, Hinata Hyuuga wanted only to be with her beloved Naruto, and nothing was ever going to change that.

* * *

Several hours passed before Naruto and Hinata spoke to one another. After their kiss, they had made their way through town towards the city park, where they now lay side by side on a hill, with Hinata resting her head gently on Naruto's chest. There had really been no need for them to speak, and instead they simply gazed at the clouds, enjoying the incredible moment that life had handed them. In spite of this fact, however, Hinata felt a burning question in the back of her mind that she could not leave alone.

"Naruto, you said something earlier about Kiba, about some deal, I think it was? What was that, exactly?"

The blonde glanced down at the Hyuuga's face, giving her a somewhat sheepish smile. "Oh, that… well, the thing is… Kiba wanted me to hook the two of you up, as a favor, you know? That's… kind of why I approached you that day; I wanted to set up a meeting with the three of us."

"I see," Hinata said, though she did not sound offended by the story in any way. It was as if she were processing the information, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. "So that's why he was so mad at you yesterday…"

"Yeah," Naruto responded half-heartedly, "I can see why he'd be angry with me… I just wish there was some way I could make it up to him…"

"Hmm," the Hyuuga murmured, pursing her lips in thought. "Well, maybe I could try talking to him. Maybe he'd listen to me."

"No," the vulpine boy stated flatly. "I appreciate the offer, Hinata, but this is something we have to work out on our own."

"I understand," Hinata replied after a moment. "You know, as long as we're coming clean about everything… I have a confession of my own."

Naruto turned his head slightly to the side, so that he could get a better view of his girlfriend before responding. "Really? And what's that?"

"Well, you remember a few days ago when you got sick and I took care of you?" Hinata started, though her question was entirely rhetorical. "You see, the thing is I… kinda went through your stuff… and Kiba's…"

The blonde made no response for a moment, but simply stared at Hinata in disbelief. He then began to chuckle genially, a playful smirk on his face. "What, that's it? Geez, you had me thinking you robbed a bank or something!"

"You mean you don't care?" Hinata asked in pseudo-disappointment.

"Of course not! I told you all about Kyuubi, why would I care if you went into my room?"

"I suppose you're right," the Hyuuga responded with a sigh. "Still, I felt really bad about it."

"Well, I'll tell you what, then," Naruto proposed after a second of thinking. "If you'll go on a date with me to Ichiraku again tonight, I'll consider us even, okay?"

"I can live with that," Hinata said with her typically shy smile.

With the plans all set, the young couple finally moved from their spot on the hill and started back towards town, perfectly unaware of what fate had in store for them.

* * *

As Kiba Inuzuka ran through the streets of Konoha his mind was racing, as the words of Shikamaru seemed to echo in his memory. He had been searching the city for upwards of two hours, hoping to find Naruto so that he could talk things out. It had been a rather fruitless search thus far, for the blonde was not at their apartment or any of his friends' houses, leaving the dog-boy with one last option: Ichiraku.

Thus, Kiba found himself rushing through the city, growing wary of the storm clouds forming overhead as he went from street to street. He wanted to find the blond before it started to rain, and thus he pressed on, his legs burning from exhaustion.

Kiba wasn't exactly sure what he planned to say to Naruto when he actually found him. In spite of Shikamaru's efforts, the Inuzuka was not quite ready to forgive his roommate, but at the same time if the Nara had a point.

_Is Shikamaru right? Is it my own fault that Naruto fell for Hinata? I guess I could have done a bit more to get her to notice me… No! Naruto knew how I felt! There's no excuse for turning on me like that… right?_

Just as these thoughts passed through the Inuzuka's mind, however, he found himself turning onto one of the city's main streets just as the rain began to fall. There, he discovered a familiar blonde and his Hyuuga girlfriend strolling down the opposite side of the street, their eyes locked with one another's.

_Look at him… he doesn't even care about me… that bastard…_

This sentiment did not last long, though, for Kiba soon realized that something was amiss. Just on the other side of the road, Naruto was beginning to cross the street with Hinata following a couple steps behind, completely oblivious to the fishtailing car headed his way. There was no time for Kiba to think, to consider if the blonde deserved to be punished for his betrayal: he could only act. Thus, with the rain now pouring down around him, the Inuzuka was instantly rushing across the street with all the strength he could muster.

"NARUTO!"

* * *

Yay, cliffhangers! I know, I'm horribly cruel and you all probably hate me right now... but, review anyway, okay? Oh, and find out how this all unfolds in the next chapter of The Fox and the Hound! 


	10. Chapter 9

Okay, I decided that it was cruel for me to give you guys the cliff hanger in the last chapter, so I typed this chapter up as fast as possible. Before that, of course, I have some reviewers to thank, who will all receive some digital popsicles.

meikim82- Glad to hear you're enjoying the story! I never thought someone would be so immersed in one of my little tales...

freshman007- It's good to see that the emotions I was trying to convey were believable. I was so worried it would just come off as being overly cheesy, so thanks a lot!

werewolfluvr147- I didn't want you to go through withdrawls with this story, so I hurried to write this chapter especially for you. Enjoy!

Rose Tiger- Trust me, I've devoted too much time into this story to drop it now. There's just a few more chapters left, so I hope you stick with it as well!

Now, on to the chapter-

* * *

Chapter 9

It all happened rather quickly. One second Naruto was starting across the street without a care in the world, the next he found himself stumbling back he was pushed onto the sidewalk.

He heard it before he actually saw it… the accident, that is. At first it was just the call of his name, lingering for a moment in the eerie stillness. This was soon engulfed, however, by the screeching of tires, Hinata's horrified screams, and the sickening thud of his rescuer's body connecting with the car.

It was this sound in particular that drew Naruto's attention to the scene unfolding before him. Everything seemed to play out in slow motion, like he was meant to see every detail of the accident just as it occurred. He saw his savior's side bend over the car hood, watched as his head slammed into the windshield and tumbled over the top, and was entranced as the body bounced a sickening three times before rolling to a halt further down the road. As soon as that limp form had stopped, however, Naruto instantly sprung into action, darting down the sidewalk to his fallen rescuer, his eyes wide with fear.

_He couldn't have… tell me it wasn't…_

Rushing to the injured boy's side, however, Naruto's fears were confirmed. The fang-like marks on his cheeks, that messy, brown hair, and that distinct hooded jacket, now reduced to tatters by the rough pavement…

"Kiba!" the blonde called, lightly lifting the Inuzuka's head off the ground. "Kiba! Snap out of it!"

Naruto could only watch with paralyzing anxiety as he waited for some sign that the dog-boy was still alive. A sound, a movement… anything that could give him some hope. It was the longest minute of the vulpine boy's life, but soon Kiba's eyes opened a crack, accompanied by what could only be described as a groan. "Hmm?"

"Oh, thank God!" Naruto whispered, tears of relief forming in his eyes. "Hinata, call an ambulance, quick!"

_He's alive… we still have some time. If they hurry…_

As the blonde finally examined his roommate, however, he felt his hope slowly diminish. His body was covered with cuts and bruises from the fall, the blood having already stained what remained of his clothing. Further down, it was quite apparent that his right leg was shattered, given the way it bent in such an unnatural manner. Even worse than this, though, was Kiba's labored breathing, which made him sound as if he were choking on the very air itself.

"Naruto… don't bother…"

"What are you talking about, Kiba?" Naruto asked with feigned ignorance.

"The ambulance… don't bother," the dog-boy continued with an uncomfortable sense of serenity.

"Don't talk like that, you're going to be fine, okay?" Naruto responded with a sniffle. "We're gonna get you to the hospital, and they'll fix you up good, you hear?"

"Naruto… I can't feel… my legs," Kiba said before coughing up a mouthful of blood. "Heh… and I think… I punctured… a lung."

The blonde could only stare in horror at his friend for a second, hoping that this was all just a dream or something… that he could wake up and go apologize, make everything right again.

"Listen, Naruto… I'm sorry."

"Kiba, don't –"

"No, let me finish," the dog-boy interrupted. "Look, I'm sorry… about yesterday… I was wrong…"

"Kiba, it was my fault, I shouldn't have –"

"Damn… you're always… so stubborn," Kiba continued between strained breaths. "Listen… just promise… you'll make her… happy … okay?"

"Of course," Naruto said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"And… you'd better… take care… of Akamaru… or I'll haunt you… got it?"

"Sure… anything else?"

"Yeah… one more thing," Kiba murmured, his voice growing faint. "Goodbye… Naruto…"

With those words, Kiba's eyes sealed shut for the last time and his head rolled slightly to the side, a peaceful smile on his face. The blonde gazed down at his friend, the tears freely running down his cheeks to join the rain and blood in the street.

"Goodbye, Kiba…"

* * *

Okay, this was a really short chapter, I know. I wanted to focus entirely on Kiba's death, though, and I have to say, I actually cried a little bit while typing his last words. I never thought a fan fiction would grow on me so much...

Well, enough of my babble, I want to hear your reviews! Tell me what you think, and stay tuned for the next installment of The Fox and the Hound!


	11. Chapter 10

Alright guys, here's the new chapter. The next one will be an epilogue, and then it will be over. I thank you all for reading so far and especially for reviewing. Speaking of which, I have some wonderful reviewers to thank before we get to the chapter. You guys were so helpful with the last chapter, I've decided to give you each an ocean of digital chocolate.

werewolfluvr147- I'm glad you liked the last chapter, even if it was so sad. I cried too, and I knew it was coming!

QWERTYNarutoUzumaki- Thanks for the review, and I'm glad to know I'm not the only writer who gets so connected to his characters... well, not my characters, but you know what I mean.

x.Nanako-chan.x- Oh, sorry that I misled you! I didn't mean to fake you out, so I'm sorry that Kiba's death wasn't quite as powerful as I intended.

Rose Tiger- Yeah, I felt so bad about killing him...

freshman007- Well, I like your suggestions, but I honestly thought people would be expecting a real dramatic ending. I wanted it to feel abrupt, so that's why I didn't elaborate much more. This chapter deals more with the aftermath.

UchihaKyoko- I'm glad you liked it! I was afraid that I wouldn't get the response I wanted, so it's good to see that I struck a chord with someone!

Anyway, on with the chapter!

Chapter 10

Kiba's funeral took place just two days after his death, on Sunday. His parents had decided to bring him back home to be buried, so that they could visit his grave when they wished. It was perfectly reasonable, to want to be near their son even in death… at least that's what Iruka had said when he came to pick Naruto up.

As he sat there in the funeral parlor, staring at his friend's cold, lifeless body, though, the blond began to doubt his father's wisdom. It wasn't that Kiba's parents were wrong… Naruto felt that they should be near their son, that was their right, after all. No, there was something else about seeing the dog-boy lying there, without that cocky grin on his face… something that truly struck a nerve within the vulpine boy.

_It should be me in there… I should've been hit by that car… why did you do it, Kiba?_

He hadn't cried once since Kiba died. The ambulance had arrived two minutes later, and the paramedics tried their best to resuscitate him, but he was already gone. He had cried then, watching helplessly as they hauled him away in the ambulance, but it was only for a little while. A few tears, followed by emptiness.

That's what he felt now, like he had actually died in that accident, and this entire scene was just a vision of what could have been. He knew it was all too real, though; he could feel the guilt, the pain of that loss… but he couldn't express it. He wanted to cry, he wanted to show Kiba how much he meant to him, but the tears just wouldn't come. It's like his body knew that no amount of tears would ever do that pain justice. And so the blonde sat there, feeling hopelessly lost and alone, while he looked around the room.

Of course, what he saw did not exactly make Naruto feel any better. At various places around the funeral parlor assorted members of the Inuzuka family stood talking, reminiscing about their own experiences with Kiba as they looked at pictures, each one a just a microscopic piece of the dog-boy's life. In the corner, Kiba's sister was bawling quite openly into her mother's lap, who in turn was silently weeping as she tried to console her daughter. Just on the other side of the room, Iruka was having a conversation with Kiba's father, both trying to laugh away the sorrow that showed deep in their eyes.

_All these people… they must hate me. I took you away from them, and yet here I am… pretending like I was worth saving. They'd all be better off if Kyuubi had killed me that night… if I'd never gotten close to anyone…_

As painful as it was for the blonde, though, he could not take his eyes off the body before him. It amazed Naruto how well they had cleaned him up in such a short period of time. There were no cuts on Kiba's body, no blood, none of the visible anguish that was so obvious just two days before. It was like there had never been an accident, like Kiba had just passed on without sacrificing himself for an unworthy friend…

_It's all my fault… I took everything from him! Our friendship, his life, his love… and he saved me! Why did you do it, Kiba? Why?!_

Sitting on Naruto's lap, Akamaru appeared to sense the blonde's growing frustration and began to whimper slightly before gazing back at his deceased master. Hearing this, Naruto gazed down at the puppy and began to stroke its fur in a vain attempt at comforting it.

_All my fault… all my fault… _

"Do you feel guilty, Naruto?"

Looking up in surprise, Naruto was strangely relieved to find Iruka's gentle face staring back at him with a half-hearted smile. Seeing this, the blonde quickly shifted his attention back to Kiba's body and sighed. "Why did he do it, Dad? Why didn't he just let me die? I… I was horrible to him, but he saved me anyway… What makes someone do that?"

Iruka gave a sort of defeated sigh and sat down beside his son, staring at Kiba's body as he spoke. "I don't know, Naruto. I really don't. I guess there's just something about saving the life of another person that's… well, important to us. For Kiba, it was a choice between sacrifice and watching his best friend die… I don't really know what went on between the two of you, Naruto, but clearly it wasn't enough for him to forget you completely. It was more important for him to save your life, Naruto, than to live himself… you mattered to him, Naruto, and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

In spite of Iruka's efforts, however, it seemed that none of his words sunk in with the blonde. Instead, Naruto continued to stare at Kiba, his eyes retaining that pained, yet utterly emotionless quality, like he still wasn't quite sure what happened.

"I just wish I knew what was going through his mind, you know?" Naruto said as he continued to stroke Akamaru's fur mechanically. "Why did he throw his life away for me?"

"Do you really think your life's not worth saving?" Iruka asked, retaining his philosophical tone. "Look, I know what you mean… you feel like you aren't worthy of that kind of sacrifice, and I can understand that. Let me put it to you this way, though; if you were Kiba, wouldn't you have done the same thing?"

The blonde actually had to think about this one. Sure, Kiba was a great friend, but Naruto had stolen his dream girl, without feeling any regret whatsoever. Would he really have saved his friend after something like that?

"Yes," Naruto said, his eyes widening with realization. "I would have…"

"You get it now, don't you," Iruka said, turning with a comforting smile towards his son. "You were best friends, it's as simple as that."

"I know, it's just… it's just," Naruto started, though he was suddenly cut off by a small hiccup in his voice. It was during that brief pause that the blonde felt it: that surge of emotion at the realization that the boy before him was never coming back. The sweet memories, the regret at things left unsaid, the hollow feeling of loss… it all seemed to spawn at once, and it became too much for the vulpine boy to handle. Thus, it was with pent up tears streaming down his face that Naruto finished his thought, "I miss him so much, Dad…"

With those words the blonde finally lost control and began to sob quite openly, forcing him to close his eyes as he tried to get a hold of himself. He was gone… Kiba was gone and there was nothing he could do to bring him back. The first real friend he'd ever had, the boy that had been with him for as long as he could remember, who had helped him learn about life all over again… he was simply gone. For that moment, Naruto's could focus only on that one fact, his mind completely closed off to everything else around him.

Then he felt it… a faint pressure that forced him to open his eyes is surprise. There, on his lap, Akamaru had begun to nuzzle the blonde's stomach comfortingly, his fur spotted with Naruto's tears. The vulpine boy stared down at the pup in shock, his eyes red from sobbing.

_He… he doesn't want to see me cry. Just like his master…_

At this thought, Naruto felt a gentle, familiar embrace as Iruka joined in to console his son, the trio simply sitting there before the coffin in a moment of serenity. It took the blonde a little while to calm down, but as he became increasingly aware of those around him, he was able to wipe the tears from his eyes and regain control.

_I'm not alone… Kiba's gone, but I'm not alone…_

"Are you gonna be okay, Naruto?" Iruka whispered, his voice strangely reassuring in that simple question.

"Yeah… I'll be fine," the vulpine boy responded, though the words seemed to come out on their own.

"Alright, if you need me I'll be talking to Mr. Inuzuka, okay?"

Naruto nodded slightly in response, his attention once again devoted entirely to his friend's body. No longer did he stare in a sort of blank disbelief, as if he simply could not understand what happened, could not accept Kiba's death. Instead, his gaze was one filled with admiration for the dog-boy's sacrifice and an appreciation for that gift.

_I'll make it up to you, Kiba. Somehow… I'll show you that it was all worthwhile._

Of course, even with this newfound determination, Naruto wasn't exactly sure how he could possibly return the favor to his friend. After all, now that somebody had given his life for the blonde, everything else seemed sort of weak by comparison. It was quite frustrating, but Naruto didn't actually feel any such annoyance. Instead, he could only sense that there was something missing still, that somewhere in his soul was a hole that had been occupied by Kiba. Naruto knew that he wouldn't feel at peace until he managed to fill that void, but he also had no idea how to do so.

Just when the vulpine boy was about to give up, however, he suddenly saw the shadow approaching on the floor, causing him to glance over his shoulder out of curiosity. Much to his surprise, Naruto found a familiar, purple-haired girl staring back at him, and instantly he knew what he had to do.

_One sacrifice deserves another…_

"Umm… hello, Naruto," Hinata said in her overly shy manner.

The Hyuuga's greeting caught Naruto momentarily off guard, causing him to stumble over his words as he snapped out of his reverie. "Oh… uh, hi, Hinata. I'm surprised you could make it."

"Oh, well, Neji gave me a ride," Hinata continued, taking a seat next to the blonde. "He's so much nicer now that he's heir to the Hyuuga Corporation."

"So you already made your decision, huh?" Naruto asked, though his eyes remained focused on Kiba's body. "I take it your dad's okay with it?"

"He's not exactly thrilled, but he'll come around," Hinata said with a light smile, "I think Neji will make a much better businessman than I ever would, anyway."

"Well, I'm glad your dad didn't disown you or anything," the blonde responded in a stolid tone. "I mean, at least you can still change your mind if you want, right?"

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" Hinata asked as she eyed the vulpine boy suspiciously. "You said it yourself: I should do whatever makes me happy. Why would I change my mind now?"

_Quit beating around the bush, Naruto… just tell her…_

"What I mean is… I can't be with you anymore, Hinata," Naruto said as his eyes shifted dejectedly towards the ground.

"But why? I thought you wanted this…"

"I did, Hinata, it's just…" Naruto started, pausing somewhat as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "Well…every time I look at you… I see the girl that Kiba loved, and I think about how I took that away from him…"

Hinata stared at he beloved blonde for a moment, not knowing exactly what she should say. "Naruto, that wasn't your fault…"

"How wasn't it my fault, Hinata? How can you possibly say that?!" Naruto exclaimed, fresh tears of frustration forming in his eyes. "He died because of me, Hinata!"

"He died _for_ you, Naruto!" the Hyuuga countered, bending down so she could look the vulpine boy in the eye. "He wanted you to be happy… that's why he saved you that night, don't you see?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Naruto continued, choking somewhat on his tears. "If I hadn't walked you home that day… if I had just gone on like I never knew you, he'd still be here. It's just like that little girl… the one Kyuubi killed…"

Hinata was suddenly dumbstruck, and could only look on helplessly while the blonde broke down before her. Of course he felt responsible… this was the second time he had watched someone die in front of him. As much as the Hyuuga wanted to tell Naruto that everything was okay, that it was beyond his control, she knew that it would take far more than superficial words to heal a wound that deep. Nevertheless, Hinata knew that she had to try something, even if her efforts were completely futile.

"Naruto, I can't even imagine what you're going through right now… to have had so many people close to you be taken away like that," Hinata started, speaking in a compassionate tone. "But you can't just let Kiba's death ruin your life like this? It's like you told me, you have to do what makes you happy."

"I was wrong," Naruto responded flatly. "Even if you do what makes you happy, someone will always end up suffering. That's why you should go back and take over the family business… if we stay together, it will only end in misery…"

For a moment Hinata considered arguing with the blonde, hoping that maybe he would change his mind. The more she watched those sad, blue eyes, though, the more she knew that it was best to just drop it. Naruto had made up his mind, and there was no going back.

"If that's what you want, Naruto," the Hyuuga said, her voice hardly more than a whisper as she rose from her chair and headed for the exit.

_There… you did it. You gave up the one joy you had left in your life… Now you can and suffer like you deserve…_

"You're not really gonna let her go, are you?"

Naruto looked up once more in surprise to find a familiar, bored-looking figure with a pineapple-shaped haircut. "Shikamaru? What are you doing here?"

"I got a ride with the Hyuuga's," Shikamaru replied casually as he took a seat beside the blonde. "But that's not important. What matters is why you're letting the best thing that ever happened to you walk away."

Naruto sighed heavily before responding, "I just can't do it, Shikamaru. If I stay with her, I'll never forgive myself… not after what happened to Kiba…"

"I see," Shikamaru said, leaning back in his chair. "So it's guilt, then."

"Not exactly," the blonde explained, "It's like… maybe if I give her up now, I might make it up to him, you know? Like, maybe he'll forgive me for stealing her to begin with…"

"Naruto, let me tell you something," the Nara interrupted, though his voice sounded just as causal as ever. "Before he died, I talked with Kiba about what happened. He told me all about the deal you two had, and how you fell in love with Hinata yourself."

"Really? He told you about all that?"

"Yeah, he did," Shikamaru confirmed, "He felt betrayed, of course… he couldn't understand why you'd do something like that to him. I told him that you can't really control love, though… it just sort of happens."

"W-what did he say?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"That's when he left to go look for you," the lazy genius continued. "He was frustrated and confused… but I think, deep down, he knew I was right. He didn't blame you, Naruto. He might have been upset, but he didn't hate you."

"I know that, Shikamaru… it's just," Naruto said, shaking his head as he tried to sort out his thoughts, "he'd still be here, you know?"

"That's true, but you can't change the past," Shikamaru said bluntly. "Kiba's dead. I'm not saying that you should just forget about him and move on… but you have to think about what Kiba would've wanted. He didn't die just so you could go around moping all the time. He wanted you and Hinata to be happy."

As those words left Shikamaru's lips, Naruto suddenly remembered what Kiba said that night as he died in the blonde's arms. Even though he had thought that night over in his head time after time, Naruto had never actually considered what the dog-boy had said. No, those words were buried beneath heaps of mourning and self-pity…

_How could I forget that? He told me to make her happy! Maybe if I hurry…_

"Sorry, Shikamaru, I gotta go," Naruto said as he rose from his seat, handing Akamaru to the Nara.

"Go get her, Naruto," Shikamaru replied with a knowing smirk.

The blonde never heard his friend's words, though, for he was already running through the church's main hallway in desperation. Before long, he burst through the front doors and began to look around hurriedly, hoping that he wasn't too late. Fortunately for him, Naruto soon spotted a girl with distinctly purple hair about halfway down the parking lot, causing him to shout out frantically.

"Hinata! Hinata, wait!"

The Hyuuga glanced over her shoulder in surprise at the sudden call to find a rather winded blonde standing before her. "Naruto…"

"Hinata, listen, I was wrong," Naruto explained after catching his breath. "You should do whatever makes you happy… we all should! So, I guess what I'm saying is… if you still want to…"

"Shh… it's my turn, now," Hinata whispered as she gently placed a finger to the blonde's lips.

"Your turn? What are y-"

Naruto's answer came soon enough as Hinata silenced him with a kiss, pulling the vulpine boy close in an unusual display of affection. Together they stood like that in the parking lot, each one showing their true feelings for the other in every movement of their lips, in every gentle caress of the other as they out all their pent-up emotions. It was then, at that moment locked in a tender embrace with the love of his life, that Naruto understood what Kiba had wanted.

_I'll see to it that you didn't die for nothing… I'll make her happier than you'd ever imagined…_

Yay! Everyone's happy! Alright, please share any thoughts you have, and stay tuned for the final chapter of The Fox and the Hound!

* * *


	12. Epilogue

Okay guys, here it is: the final chapter of The Fox and the Hound. I thank you all for sticking with me until the end, I appreciate all your comments, criticisms... everything! I hope you enjoy the finale! Oh, and reviewers... you guys get digital sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. Enjoy!

werewolfluvr147- I'm glad I was able to touch you again, here. I know exactly what you mean about Naruto, he can be very frustrating sometimes. Thank goodness Shikamaru's there to be the voice of reason...

Fire's Descent- Oh, I feel honored! I'm glad to hear I struck a chord.

Rose Tiger- I know what you mean... I still feel bad about Kiba dying. At least he's happy, though!

freshman007- I'm glad you liked the last chapter. It's always good to hear that my characters reacted believably, and I appreciate the compliment on the ending!

Now, on to the chapter!

* * *

Epilogue

It was just over five years later when Naruto Uzumaki found himself returning to the very same church where they had said goodbye to Kiba once and for all. Of course, unlike on his previous visit to this little chapel, on this particular day Naruto was brimming with a strange combination of excitement and anxiety. He was standing before all of his friends and family, who were staring up at him in joyful anticipation, though his mind was in no way focused on them. No, that wasn't the cause of his anxiety… it was the Hyuuga standing next to him in an elegant, white gown.

_I can't believe I'm doing this…_

In front of the young couple, a priest was giving a nice an elegant speech… or so the blonde assumed. He wasn't exactly paying attention, not because he didn't care, though, but his mind was racing with other thoughts. He was simply too afraid to let think of anything other than "don't faint," lest he forget and collapse right before the altar.

"Do you, Naruto, take Hinata to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"

"I do."

_Did I just say that?_

"And do you, Hinata, take Naruto to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"

"I do."

_She does?!_

"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest continued in his warm, yet formal manner. "You may kiss the bride."

Hearing those words, Naruto suddenly felt all doubt flee from him at once as he leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on the Hyuuga's lips. At this, the crowd erupted in applause, many whistling loudly to make their approval known. After only a few seconds, Naruto backed out of the kiss and gazed down at his wife, a gentle smile graced both of their features.

No words were spoken between the two of them; it was as if, with their marriage, they had a sort of telepathic link, with each knowing exactly what the other was saying. Thus, it was with a mere nod that Naruto and Hinata raced down the aisle, the blonde's eyes scanning the crowd for familiar faces as he ran.

_Iruka… and Akamaru, of course… Neji… Shikamaru… wait, is he wearing a suit? Never thought I'd see the day…_

Before long, though, the young couple burst through the chapel doors into the bright sunshine, where a car bearing the words "Just Married" awaited them. Naruto hopped in the driver's side, waving happily to his family gathered in front of the church as Hinata climbed in. Once they were both settled, the blonde turned the ignition and stepped on the gas, his eyes fixed on the rear-view mirror until his family was out of sight.

It took only a few minutes for the young couple to arrive at their new home, neither one saying a word as they drove along. It wasn't an awkward kind of silence, though, but rather… pleasant. They still had that telepathic link between them, and they both knew that no words were needed at this moment. Even when they stepped out of the car, the newlyweds never said a word. Naruto knew to carry Hinata over the threshold, Hinata knew to be carried… it was instinctive. Once Naruto actually passed through the door, however, he felt an overwhelming urge to break that peaceful silence with a completely unnecessary statement.

"Well, here we are," the blonde said with a grin, looking down at the girl in his arms.

"Here we are," Hinata repeated with a softer smile.

In any other case, Naruto would have felt foolish for saying something so obvious, but for whatever reason it felt right at that moment. Yes, they both knew that they were there… but it felt so much more real to actually hear those words.

Of course, it then seemed to dawn on the young couple instantly: there was still one thing left to do. Once again, neither one had to say anything; they could simply see it in one another's eyes. Thus, they raced up the stairs towards the master bedroom, Naruto gradually removing his tuxedo as he went. By the time they reached their destination, the blonde was nearly tripping over his pants, while Hinata was busy undoing her wedding gown. Before long, though, they were both down to their underwear, at which point they tumbled onto the bedspread, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

* * *

About a half hour later, Naruto Uzumaki found himself lying in bed, his body covered in a thin layer of sweat. Scattered about the room were various pillows and articles of clothing, which made it look as if a tornado had swept through. Beside him, Hinata was lying on her side and gazing at the blonde, a bed sheet wrapped sensuously about her.

"Something on your mind?" Hinata asked after a moment, though more out of curiosity than concern.

"No, not really," Naruto responded simply as he continued to stare up at the ceiling.

"You know he'd be proud of you, right?" Hinata continued, "Kiba, I mean."

"You think so?" the blonde asked, glancing at his wife with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course," the former Hyuuga replied, "You've made me the happiest woman in the world."

"Is that so?" Naruto responded as he turned on his side, a playful grin on his face. "I take it I was good, then?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Hinata responded coyly. "After all, it's hard to tell after just one time."

"That sounds like a challenge," the blonde said as he inched closer to his bride. "I'll just have to prove that was no fluke then, won't I?"

With that, Naruto rolled on top of Hinata, his lips traveling slowly from the base of her neck up towards her mouth. For a moment the pale woman simply lied there, anticipating the kiss that was to come, only to tumble to the side and off the bed as she proceeded to lock lips with the blonde herself.

Indeed, Kiba would have been pleased, for Hinata Hyuuga had finally found true happiness in her beloved Naruto.

The End

* * *

Well, there you have it... the end of the story. Once again, I'd appreciate any comments you guys might have. As for future fanfics... well, I'm going to take the summer to focus on my novel, but we'll see if I have any good ideas come September.


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